Kenya Mall Shooting: At Least 59 Killed, 175 Injured in 'Senseless Act of Violence'
Sept. 22, 2013
By KIRIT RADIA and ALEXIS SHAW
via Good Morning America
Reporter
At least 30 hostages remain trapped inside an upscale mall in Nairobi,
Kenya, more than 24 hours after unsuspecting shoppers were met with a
siege of terror when attackers dressed in black, wearing facemasks and vests,
threw grenades and opened fire on unsuspecting crowds.
Kenya's interior Cabinet secretary Joseph Lenku said at
least 59 people were killed and at least 175 others were injured in the attack.
While more than 1,000 people were rescued from the shopping center, Kenyan
forces continue to swarm the mall are as a tense standoff ensues.
"The priority is to save as many lives as possible,"
Lenku said.
Overnight, a senior Obama administration official
confirmed to ABC News that four Americans are amongst the injured. Two victims
-- including one child – remain hospitalized, the official said.
Three British nationals are confirmed dead in the
attack, as French and Canadian officials said that their nations each had two
citizens killed.
Officials say there are at least 10 to 15 gunmen
involved. Initially it was believed the gang were armed robbers but it soon
became clear the attackers were targeting non-Muslims.
"The gunmen told Muslims to stand up and leave. They
were safe, and non-Muslims would be targeted," said witness Elijah Kamau who was
shopping in the mall.
This morning, the first and second floor of Westgate
Mall have been contained, as forces work to secure the ground floor and basement
of the mall, a U.S. official told ABC News.
The gunmen appear to have been "contained" by
responding forces, the official said. It is unclear if some of the attackers
have escaped, the official said.
Terrified shoppers and staffers who were able to make
their escape described a harrowing scene to Kenyan media, which involved
stepping over dead bodies on the way to safety.
The gunmen hit one of the most upscale places in
Nairobi.
The Westgate Mall is a destination for Kenya's elite.
It bills itself as the city's premier mall, boasting that it offers customers a
"first world interior" and a "safe and serene environment." It was opened in
2007 and has more than 80 stores.
Somalia's al-Qaidia-linked rebel group, al-Shabab,
claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was in retaliation for the
2011 involvement of Kenyan forces in their country to fight the Islamic
insurgents.
"They're seeking to embarrass Kenya and get them to
withdraw their troops," Associated Press reporter Jason Straziuso, who is
currently in Nairobi, told ABC News."These hardcore terrorists know that this
generates news in Europe and America."
While Kenya's elite troops moved into position at the
mall Saturday night, Straziuso said that the most important question now is how
they plan to free the hostages who are held up inside.
The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi suspended all U.S
government temporary personnel, and told Mission personnel to shelter in place,
avoid the Westgate mall area and avoid demonstrations or gatherings as the
situation, according to its Facebook
page.
State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf said
U.S. officials were closely monitoring the situation.
"We condemn this senseless act of violence that has
resulted in death and injury for many innocent men, women, and children. Our
condolences go out to the families and friends of all victims. We have reports
of American citizens injured in the attack, and the U.S. Embassy is actively
reaching out to provide assistance," Harf said in a statement.
ABC News' Jeffrey Kofman contributed to this
report.
At Least 59
People Died At Nairobi Shooting
Published on Sep 22,
2013
At least 59 people were killed and 175
injured in Saturday's attack on a Nairobi shopping centre, a Kenyan government
minister has said.
Joe Lenku said 1,000 people had managed to escape from the Westgate centre after the assault by suspected al-Shabab militants.
He added that between 10 to 15 attackers were still in the building.
It is not known how many civilians remain trapped there - either as hostages or hiding from the militants.
There are reports that the gunmen are currently holed up in a supermarket.
The Somali militant group al-Shabab says it carried out the attack on the upmarket shopping centre in response to Kenyan military operations in Somalia.
There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia, where they have been fighting the militants since 2011.
'Watching and monitoring'
Kenyan officials said "major operations" were under way with police and soldiers preparing an apparent bid to bring an end to the stand-off.
But Joe Lenku, Kenya's interior minister, stressed that the operation was "very, very delicate".
"The priority is to save as many lives as possible,'' he said.
The BBC's Will Ross at the scene said it would be extremely difficult for the military do a quick raid on the building because of all the people inside.
Al-Shabab has claimed there are at least 36 hostages, but this cannot be independently confirmed. There are also likely to be people hiding away from the attackers.
Our correspondent says the full extent of the attack will not be known until the military is back in control.
Meanwhile, people are still escaping from the building.
Cecile Ndwiga got out on Sunday morning, saying she had been hiding under a vehicle in the basement car park but could not leave earlier because "the shootout was all over - left, right".
The authorities have asked journalists to exercise caution when reporting military developments because the gunmen might be monitoring the media.
"Hostiles suspected to have access to the internet," the Disaster Operation Centre in Nairobi posted on Twitter.
"Reports on personnel movement and progress will not be posted for fear of compromising strategy."
The authorities are also appealing for Kenyans to donate blood. Big queues have formed at a Nairobi donation centre.
The attack began at about 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Saturday, when the militants entered the Westgate centre, throwing grenades and firing automatic weapons. A children's day was being held at the time - children are among those reported killed.
Witnesses report seeing many bodies strewn round tables of unfinished fast food - with pop music left playing in the background.
Some witnesses said the militants told Muslims to leave and said non-Muslims would be targeted.
"They came and said: 'If you are Muslim, stand up. We've come to rescue you'," said Elijah Lamau.
He said the Muslims left with their hands up, and then the gunmen shot two people.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says a security source told him that at least one of the attackers was a woman who appeared to have a leadership role.
Foreigners among dead
In a televised address on Saturday evening, Mr Kenyatta said: "We shall hunt down the perpetrators. We shall get to them and we shall punish them for this heinous crime."
He said he had "personally lost family members in the Westgate attack".
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said there would "undoubtedly" be British nationals caught up in Saturday's events, while the US State Department said it had reports that American citizens were injured in what it called "a senseless act of violence".
Two French citizens and two Canadians, including a diplomat, are also among the dead.
Prominent Ghanian poet Kofi Awoonor - who was was attending a literary festival in Nairobi - also died, as has a Chinese woman.
Security experts are reported to have warned that the Israeli-owned complex was in danger of being subjected to a terror attack.
Al-Shabab, which is part of the al-Qaeda network, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
The BBC's Mark Doyle, who is embedded with the African Union (AU) mission in Somalia, says AU troops attack al-Shabab where they can.
Al-Shabab believes the AU forces are invaders stopping their legitimate vision of creating an Islamic state - and the group responds by mounting hit-and-run attacks, our correspondent says.
This is one of the worst incidents in Kenya since the attack on the US embassy in August 1998.
Joe Lenku said 1,000 people had managed to escape from the Westgate centre after the assault by suspected al-Shabab militants.
He added that between 10 to 15 attackers were still in the building.
It is not known how many civilians remain trapped there - either as hostages or hiding from the militants.
There are reports that the gunmen are currently holed up in a supermarket.
The Somali militant group al-Shabab says it carried out the attack on the upmarket shopping centre in response to Kenyan military operations in Somalia.
There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia, where they have been fighting the militants since 2011.
'Watching and monitoring'
Kenyan officials said "major operations" were under way with police and soldiers preparing an apparent bid to bring an end to the stand-off.
But Joe Lenku, Kenya's interior minister, stressed that the operation was "very, very delicate".
"The priority is to save as many lives as possible,'' he said.
The BBC's Will Ross at the scene said it would be extremely difficult for the military do a quick raid on the building because of all the people inside.
Al-Shabab has claimed there are at least 36 hostages, but this cannot be independently confirmed. There are also likely to be people hiding away from the attackers.
Our correspondent says the full extent of the attack will not be known until the military is back in control.
Meanwhile, people are still escaping from the building.
Cecile Ndwiga got out on Sunday morning, saying she had been hiding under a vehicle in the basement car park but could not leave earlier because "the shootout was all over - left, right".
The authorities have asked journalists to exercise caution when reporting military developments because the gunmen might be monitoring the media.
"Hostiles suspected to have access to the internet," the Disaster Operation Centre in Nairobi posted on Twitter.
"Reports on personnel movement and progress will not be posted for fear of compromising strategy."
The authorities are also appealing for Kenyans to donate blood. Big queues have formed at a Nairobi donation centre.
The attack began at about 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Saturday, when the militants entered the Westgate centre, throwing grenades and firing automatic weapons. A children's day was being held at the time - children are among those reported killed.
Witnesses report seeing many bodies strewn round tables of unfinished fast food - with pop music left playing in the background.
Some witnesses said the militants told Muslims to leave and said non-Muslims would be targeted.
"They came and said: 'If you are Muslim, stand up. We've come to rescue you'," said Elijah Lamau.
He said the Muslims left with their hands up, and then the gunmen shot two people.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says a security source told him that at least one of the attackers was a woman who appeared to have a leadership role.
Foreigners among dead
In a televised address on Saturday evening, Mr Kenyatta said: "We shall hunt down the perpetrators. We shall get to them and we shall punish them for this heinous crime."
He said he had "personally lost family members in the Westgate attack".
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said there would "undoubtedly" be British nationals caught up in Saturday's events, while the US State Department said it had reports that American citizens were injured in what it called "a senseless act of violence".
Two French citizens and two Canadians, including a diplomat, are also among the dead.
Prominent Ghanian poet Kofi Awoonor - who was was attending a literary festival in Nairobi - also died, as has a Chinese woman.
Security experts are reported to have warned that the Israeli-owned complex was in danger of being subjected to a terror attack.
Al-Shabab, which is part of the al-Qaeda network, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
The BBC's Mark Doyle, who is embedded with the African Union (AU) mission in Somalia, says AU troops attack al-Shabab where they can.
Al-Shabab believes the AU forces are invaders stopping their legitimate vision of creating an Islamic state - and the group responds by mounting hit-and-run attacks, our correspondent says.
This is one of the worst incidents in Kenya since the attack on the US embassy in August 1998.
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