Almost all the hostages in the Kenyan mall siege have been rescued, Kenyan authorities have said, as black smoke is seen rising and loud blasts heard from inside the mall.
Kenyan security forces appear to have launched an assault on the Westgate shopping complex in the capital Nairobi in an attempt to break the siege there
Kenya’s interior minister said two terrorists were killed in the operation, but did not say if any hostages were harmed or how many were being held.
Earlier blasts were followed by other smaller detonations and volleys of gunfire.
The siege appears to be coming to a head, two days after Somali militants stormed the popular shopping mall, killing up to 59 people.
Tasmanian man Ross Langdon and his Netherlands-born partner Elif Yavuz were among those killed in the brutal attacks.
Earlier, as troops ran into new positions, security official told the Reuters newsagency at the scene: “It is us who caused the explosion; we are trying to get in through the roof.”
A plume of oily black smoke was still pouring from the building after 15 minutes.
A senior officer had said police were “closing in” on the militants after rescuing more trapped people overnight.
Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku had said “a few” people were still hostage.
“Our disciplined forces… have been extremely careful to find the balance between neutralising the attackers and getting as many people to safety as possible,” he said.
A spokesman for al Shabaab, which has demanded Kenya pull its troops out of neighbouring Somalia, had warned they would kill hostages if Kenyan security forces, who are being assisted by Western and Israeli experts, tried to storm their positions:
“Israelis and Kenyan forces have tried to enter Westgate by force but they could not,” Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said in an audio statement posted online.
“The Mujahideen will kill the hostages if the enemies use force.”
Al Shabaab WILL NOT prevail.
This cancer of islamic terror should never be allowed to prevail for sure.
These *****s called al shabaab are just animals. My condolences to families which have lost their beloved ones in this brutal attach. My appeal to their international community is that these criminals must not be treated with kid gloves. They must be hit hard. Al Shabaab must pay a very high price. Al Shabaab deserve jungle justice. Kenyans must be united in their fight against these devils.
I meant ”my appeal to the international community”
Some Countries! From violent polls to this! I think Southern Africa is the best except Zimbabwe and swaziland of course!
@Quess, yes they are devils. Why do they want to impose their religion on Somali land? What and who gives them that right and authority to do that? It’s high time other religions including atheism started using force to resist these bagggers. Hail to those brave Kenyan soldiers and their Israeli brothers for crushing these deluded chaps. This is the 21st century. The free world is here to stay. Gone are the days for dictators and forced indoctrination.
So the enemy, according to these bloody thirsty mujahedin, is the innocent, defenseless woman, man and child at the mall?
The world should go at the spokesman of this coward group called Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage. They are insane. Cowards erroneously believe killing and harming innocent people will take them to heaven! Unknown to them that they are actually working for the devil who is busy taking them to hell.
I pray to God that no Zambian is among the dead from this mad terrorist act. I’d give my life to rid off these terrorists if they ever dared to come to my country to impose their freaking religion.
I have been wondering all day what logic there is in committing such acts, i cant find any, i hope where ever they are destined to be, may they endure enternal punishment in full consciousness, it really hurts bad to see how Children, Men and Women have lost their lives at the hands of these low lives!
A world without ANY forms of religion would be a better place.
Couldn’t agree with you more
Somalia is a broken land! These basstards need to be hunted down. Where is the condemnation from the Somali Diaspora! I would be ashamed if my countrymen were responsible for this!
@ dudelove. The issue here is not religion, but religious fanaticism, that is the problem.
Uwauma, if you look at most atrocities in the world where there has been mass genocide, the base is usually religion. These funny beliefs in books have been the cause of inmeasurable suffering in the world.
If we seriously and objectively think about it; we do not need religion….
thats what am saying Ardonis. All religion does most of the time is promote hate and segregation.
Down with the terrorists and to hell with this religion of piss .Kenya should crush these madmen without mercy and we pray they be defeated.We should all piss on this religion of piss.
The area around the mall was teeming with Kenyan soldiers and armoured personnel carriers, as emergency workers and reporters were told to take cover.
However, a Kenyan security official told Reuters that the explosion was an attempt to enter the shopping mall. “It is us who caused the explosion”.
“We tried to enter from the top” he said.
Its really sad.Lets continue praying for our brothers and sisters in Kenya
JON R said – These militants always seem to choose soft targets – how brave to use AK47 ‘s in a shopping mall against women and children…whilst posing as women.
And yet someone behind a keyboard calls them heroes, Matyrs or whatever. Disgusting!
They are NOT Heroes, will Never be, & all these Killers are is SATAN’s little helpers. Once they are dead, they will expect to find Virgins awaiting them, but all that will be awaiting them is The Lakes of Fire!
Enough of this endless cancer of islamic terror.Time has come for the civilised,peace loving world to nuke these muslim monsters once and for all.
Its sad and funny hw Religion can be used to destroy innocent lives….Somalia is a small country why cant these western powers use there powerful technology and weapons and bring an end to this crap. Let them not just talk we want actions now.
@ mu Angola
my bro 1990s USA was once beating by the same *****s and never came back to fight in Africa
Russians would have done a better job to combat these rats who kill in the name of of ana i.d.i.o.t called Muhhamed. THEY WOULD HAVE USED GAS!!!!
SLEEPING GAS