Nairobi attack: London man named as one of the terrorists as gunfire is heard inside shopping mall

Somali-based militant group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the outrage at the mall in the affluent Westlands district in Nairobi. Last night a Twitter feed related to the group claimed that a London man was among the 15 “holy warriors” who carried out the attack.

The claim came as David Cameron warned the country to be braced for “more bad news” after three British people were confirmed dead in the attack.

Ongoing: Kenyan soldiers prepare for an incoming fire at the Oshwal Centre adjacent to the Westgate shopping mall .

 Gunfire has reportedly been heard from inside the Westgate Mall this morning, where Kenyan Defence Forces are still involved in a hostage rescue operation.

Earlier the Kenyan Defence Forces said “most of the hostages” had already been rescued and the majority of the building had been secured in a major military operation.

The UK has offered Kenya assistance, including intelligence co-operation, in response to the attack by Islamic extremists in the upmarket shopping centre which has left 68 dead and more than 170 injured, including many children.

Somali-based militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the atrocity, which Mr Cameron described as an “absolutely sickening and despicable act of appalling brutality”.

The Foreign Office is investigating suggestions that a female British terror suspect nicknamed the “White Widow” could have been linked to the plot.

Escape: women carrying children run for safety as armed police enter the complex

 It came after reports emerged that a woman was among the attackers, fuelling speculation that wanted Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, was involved.

She is wanted by Kenyan police over links to a suspected terrorist cell planning bomb attacks.

In March 2012 it was reported that Lewthwaite, 29, who is originally from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had fled across the border from Kenya to Somalia.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the reports and we are looking into them.”

The spokesman added: “It is really difficult to substantiate. We are looking at the names and seeing what we can find out.”

Survivor: a man is helped out of Westgate Shopping Centre

 A Twitter account purporting to be an al-Shabaab spokesman named a 24-year-old man from London as one of the gunmen.

The @hsm-press2 account listed a string of names it claimed were involved in the attack before being closed down, as previous usernames linked to the terrorist group had been.

The Kenya Defence Forces said it is now in control of the majority of the shopping mall.

“Most of the hostages have been rescued and security forces have taken control of most parts of the building … all efforts are underway to bring this matter to a speedy conclusion,” it said on Twitter.

Four personnel were injured in the operation to retake the mall and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Mr Cameron said he had offered the Kenyan authorities “every assistance” in a call to president Uhuru Kenyatta, who lost members of his own family in the attack.

The Prime Minister was at pains to stress that the perpetrators did not represent the majority of Muslims but had carried out the atrocity “in the name of terror, violence and extremism”.

“These appalling terrorist attacks that take place, where the perpetrators claim they do it in the name of a religion, they don’t,” he said.

“They do it in the name of terror, violence and extremism and their warped view of the world.

“They don’t represent Islam or Muslims in Britain or anywhere else in the world.”

Setting out the UK’s response, he added: “Obviously the first priority is to make sure we do everything for the British nationals caught up in this, so we’re strengthening the consular services that we have and the people that we have to look after our people.

“We’ve also offered the Kenyans help in terms of policing and advice and intelligence collaboration and other areas which we will be able to help with.”

Terrified shoppers have told of how they huddled in back hallways as gunmen threw grenades and then opened fire

Witness Elijah Kamau said the gunmen told Muslims to stand up and leave and that non-Muslims would be targeted, as they began their attack.

Among those dead was reportedly a pregnant woman who had organised a children’s party at the mall.

Foreigners from France, Canada, India, the Netherlands, South Africa, Ghana and the US were also killed in the attack, including a Canadian diplomat working at Canada’s High Commission to Kenya.

UK staff from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia travelled to assist locally-based officials with the efforts in Nairobi and a rapid deployment

team was sent from London, the Foreign Office said.

Foreign Secretary William Hague chaired a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra to co-ordinate the response to the situation.

Labour leader Ed Miliband offered his support to the Government and said: “Those who carried out this attack will be condemned across the globe. The cold-blooded killing of innocent women, children and men is as despicable as it is shocking.”

An al-Shaabab spokesman told Channel 4 News that westerners would not be safe in Kenya until the country pulled its forces out of Somalia.

He said: “Kenyans have blood on their hands. Anyone who is prepared to come to Kenya must be prepared to face the reality, and we don’t fear Europeans and Americans because we are not weak.

“And we are saying to the Europeans and the Americans who have been supporting those who have been attacking us, you should tell the Kenyans to stop their aggression if you want to be safe.”

Kenya’s Red Cross said the death toll from the militant attack on the mall had risen to 68 and president Kenyatta’s nephew and his fiancee were among those killed.

“These are young lovely people I personally knew and loved,” the president said, promising retribution against the terrorists.

“They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts.

“Like the cowardly perpetrators now cornered in the building, we will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully.

“I call on Kenyans to stand courageous and united. Let us not sacrifice our values and dignity to appease cowards.

“Our victory must be conclusive – let us defeat them with our unity.”

Video footage of the attack showed terrified shoppers running for cover as the sound of gunfire could be heard.

The video, obtained by CCTV Africa, revealed the scenes in a supermarket in the mall, where some people tried to hide in the store’s aisles as others fled for safety.

The footage showed shoppers abandoning their trolleys as repeated shots rang out.

At one point a group of people are seen hiding behind a door, peering through a small window as someone making a mobile phone call says “there’s a terrorist”.

source: London Evening Standard