Kenya Terror Attack: 'Most Hostages Rescued'

The Kenyan Defence Force claim most of the hostages have been freed but the rescue operation remains 'delicate'.

9:55pm UK, Sunday 22 September 2013

Video: Most hostages have been rescued and troops have taken control of most of the complex

A major assault is ongoing against al Shabaab gunmen in Nairobi, but most hostages have been freed, say the Kenyan Defence Force.

Up to 15 terrorists are understood to still be inside the Westgate shopping centre but according to Kenyan officials the army has taken control of most of the complex.
Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna told Sky News: "We cannot reveal the numbers of gunmen we suspect are there but we estimate the operation will end very soon.
"We do not negotiate with terrorists and that position has not changed. Everyone who has been rescued is being checked to make sure none of the terrorists escaped during the dragnet."
The Kenyan Red Cross say nine more bodies have been discovered raising the death toll to 68. At least 49 people are still missing.

Military personel mobilise outside the Westgate shopping centre

Gunshots and explosions have been heard in and around the Westgate centre and soldiers have been moving into the building.
Police conceded that the death toll could be "much, much higher", after reports from inside of multiple bodies.
The attack began when gunmen from the Islamist al Shabaab group burst into the upmarket mall on Saturday afternoon armed with guns and grenades.
Unconfirmed reports suggest women as well as men took part in the attack.

A Kenyan army soldier takes cover behind a wall near the centre

Some of those killed were reportedly executed after failing to recite a Muslim prayer at gunpoint. Others were shot at the entrance to the mall as they tried to escape.
The Kenyan Red Cross estimate at least 200 people have been injured.
The group have set up a webpage for anyone worried friends or relatives might be caught up in incident.

People took cover behind cars as the stand-off continued into the night

A Foreign Office spokesman said three Britons were among those killed and warned the number is likely to rise.
Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the "despicable attack", saying it was an act of "appalling brutality".
"Because the situation is ongoing, we should prepare ourselves for further bad news," he added.

The upmarket Westgate shopping centre is located in the centre of Nairobi

More than 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the shopping centre but an unknown number remain inside.
Security forces have taken control of the upper and lower levels of the building, and an army spokesman told Sky News they were trying to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.
Other reports suggested the attackers are holed up in a toilet block next to a supermarket on the ground floor of the complex.

A cremation for Nehal Vekaria, a 16-year-old student who died in the attack

Two Canadians are confirmed to have been killed in the attack, while two French citizens and a Dutch woman are also among the dead.
The Somalia-based al Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said one of his nephews and his nephew's fiancee were among the 68 people confirmed killed.

Some 1,000 men, women and children, were caught-up in the attack

"They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts," the President said in an emotional speech to the nation. "We will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully."
Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi caught up in the attack, said the attackers released people able to prove they were Muslim.
"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.
"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don’t understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."
Tales of survival are continuing to emerge as the siege continues.
Nahashon Mwangi said he was at work when he received a desperate telephone call from his son from inside the centre.
"Dad, I have been shot in the neck and hand. I am bleeding. Come and help me please," his son told him.
When he called later, his son, who survived the attack, replied: "Don't call me again. I just want you to get me out of here. If they hear me talking, they are going to kill me."
:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.