Saturday, 21 September 2013
Gunmen opened fire at a shopping centre killing at least 25 and injuring dozens more today. They let muslims go free if they could prove they were Islamic.
Witnesses caught up in the attack at Westlands Shopping Centre, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, said anyone who could recite a muslim prayer to their captors was allowed to leave unscathed.
The Gunmen turned their guns on anyone who could not prove their Islamic credentials.
Sir Simon Fraser, the Foreign Office's chief civil servant and head of the Diplomatic Service, said on Twitter that Britons had been caught up in the incident.
He posted: '@foreignoffice (The Foreign Office) and @UKinKenya (British High Commission) working hard on Nairobi shooting and hostage crisis to help all involved esp Brits.'
Sky News is reporting that the US State Department has confirmed US citizens are among the casualties.
Downing Street confirmed Prime Minister David Cameron had spoken President of
Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, this afternoon about the attack.'
Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, this afternoon about the attack.'
Kenyan police and soldiers have pinned down the remaining gunmen who opened fire at a shopping centre earlier today, killing 25 and leaving at least 50 others injured.
A security source at the scene in the capital Nairobi confirmed the attackers had been isolated.
The source said: 'The attackers have been isolated and are pinned down in an area on one of the floors - the rest of the mall seems to be secure.'
No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is looking increasingly likely the Somalia terrorist group al-Shabaab may be responsible.
A statement released through its Twitter account said it warned Kenya to pull its troops out of Somalia.
However, the group has did not take responsibility for the attack.
One witness who was embroiled in the situation claimed that the gunmen told Muslims to stand up and leave and that only non-Muslims would be targeted when they opened fire at the upmarket mall of the Westlands district around midday.
At least two dozen people, wounded and dead, were wheeled out on stretchers and in shopping trolleys by security guards, while others were seen walking out of the building, clutching bloodied clothing around their injuries.
Locals and tourists who were out shopping on the sunny Saturday in Kenya ran screaming from the building and cars were left abandoned as attackers threw grenades and fired AK47s.
Over the course of an hour people streamed from the building, at least half a dozen covered in blood and clutching small children to them.
