Military circles extremists in Kenya hostage stand-off
NAIROBI: The Kenyan military remained in a tense stand-off with Islamic extremists yesterday, as the toll rose to 59 dead, including children, and 175 wounded in the attack at an upscale mall, a Kenyan minister said.
Multiple barrages of gunfire erupted throughout yesterday from inside the building where hostages are being held by militants. The radicals attacked the mall on Saturday and remained inside throughout yesterday.
Kenya’s Red Cross said in a statement citing police that 49 people had been reported missing. Officials did not make an explicit link but that number could form the basis of the number of people held hostage.
‘‘The priority is to save as many lives as possible,’’ Joseph Lenku said, reassuring the families of the hostages in the upscale Westgate mall.
Kenyan forces have already rescued about 1,000 people, he said.
Ten to 15 attackers remain in the mall and Kenyan forces control the security cameras inside the shopping centre, Mr Lenku said.
Combined military and police forces surrounded the mall in the Westlands neighbourhood of Nairobi, which is frequented by foreigners and wealthy Kenyans. A newspaper photographer saw Kenyan soldiers carry into the mall a rocket-propelled grenade, an extremely heavy weapon for an indoor hostage situation.
Former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga said he has been told officials couldn’t determine the exact number of hostages. ‘‘There are quite a number of people still being held hostage on the third floor and the basement area where the terrorists are still in charge.’’
Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack in which they used grenades and assault rifles and specifically targeted non-Muslims.
The rebels said the attack was retribution for Kenyan forces’ 2011 push into Somalia and threatened more attacks. Kenyans and foreigners were among those confirmed dead, including British, French, Canadians, an American, South African and Chinese.
Britain’s Foreign Office said at least three UK nationals were killed and warned the number of UK nationals confirmed as killed is ‘‘likely to rise as further information becomes available’’.
A 38-year-old Chinese woman was killed in the shopping mall ‘‘terror attack’’, the Chinese embassy in Kenya said in a statement yesterday.
Her son was injured in the attack and is in a stable condition in hospital, according to the statement posted on the embassy’s website.
Nineteen people, including at least four children, died after being admitted to Nairobi’s MP Shah hospital, said Manoj Shah, the hospital’s chairman.
‘‘We have at least two critical patients currently, one with bullets lodged near the spine,’’ he said. The hospital con- tinued to receive patients yesterday.
Ghanain poet Kofi Awoonor died after being injured in the attack, Ghana’s presidential office confirmed.
Kenya’s presidential office said that one of the attackers was arrested on Saturday and died after suffering from bullet wounds.
Trucks brought in a fresh contingent of soldiers from the Kenya Defence Forces yesterday.
‘‘Violent extremists continue to occupy Westgate Mall. Security services are there in full force,’’ said the US embassy in an emergency text message.
Security forces had pushed curious crowds far back from the mall. Hundreds gathered on a high ridge above the mall to watch for any activity.