Terrorist attack in Kenya mall leaves at least 22 dead
Terrorist attack in Kenya mall leaves at least 22 dead | The Times of Israel.
Gunmen order Muslims to exit cafe before firing; some reports say targeted establishment is owned by Israelis
A terrorist attack in Kenya left at least 22 people dead Saturday. Several armed men threw grenades and opened fire in and around a cafe inside Nairobi’s Westgate Mall, in an incident that was still unfolding late Saturday evening.
AP reported that the cafe attacked is called Artcaffe; Kenyan websites said the cafe is owned by local Israelis.
Gilad Millo, a Nairobi-based Israeli, said two Israeli men and a woman who were in the mall when the attack began were unharmed and safe.
Yariv Kedar, one of the three Israelis who was in the Artcafe at the time, told Channel 2 he “heard the gunfire getting closer” before he managed to escape.
A witness to the attacks said that the gunmen ordered Muslims to stand up and leave prior to opening fire. The gunmen made it clear that non-Muslims would be targeted, the witness continued.
Witness Elijah Kamau said terrorists with AK-47s and grenades made the statement about Muslims as they began their attack at the Westgate shopping mall around midday.
An injured man is treated outside an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, after an attack there left at least 15 people dead, Saturday Sept 21, 2013 (AP Photo/ Jason Straziuso)
Another witness, an Israeli in Nairobi, told Army Radio that the gunmen took control of the mall and stationed guards at the entrances.
According to reports on CNN, the attackers may have also taken hostages.
Police forces arrived at the scene and were still seeking to capture all the gunmen late Saturday.
People continued to trickle out from hiding places within the mall, which is frequented by expatriates and rich Kenyans in Nairobi’s affluent Westlands neighborhood. It was not immediately known how many people remained inside, and whether they were still alive.
The perpetrators of the attack were not immediately known, although Israel’s Channel 2 said reports indicated they were linked to Al-Qaeda. An off duty military official identified one of the attackers as Somali.
The mall was hosting a children’s day event, witnesses said.
A local hospital was overwhelmed with the number of wounded being brought in hours after the attack, so they had to divert them to a second facility.
Manish Turohit, 18, said he saw gunmen with AK-47s and vests with hand grenades on them inside the mall before he escaped to hide in a parking garage for two hours.
“They just came in and threw a grenade. We were running and they opened fire. They were shouting and firing,” he said after being marched out of the mall in line with about 15 people who held their hands in the air.
Rob Vandijk, who works at the Dutch embassy, said he was eating at a restaurant inside the mall when attackers lobbed hand grenades inside the building. He said gunfire then burst out and people screamed as they dropped to the ground.
It appeared the attack began at the outdoor seating area of Artcaffe at the front of the mall, witnesses said.
Patrick Kuria, an employee at Artcaffe, said: “We started by hearing gunshots downstairs and outside. Later we heard them come inside. We took cover. Then we saw two gunmen wearing black turbans. I saw them shoot.”
The outdoor seating area at Artcaffe in Nairobi’s Westgate mall (photo credit: Westgate mall)
Some people were shot at the entrance to the mall after volleys of gunfire moved outside and a standoff with police began. Ambulances continued to stream in and out of the mall area, ferrying the wounded who were gradually emerging from hiding inside the mall.
Many of those running from the mall clutched small children. Others were crying. Mall guards used shopping carts to wheel out wounded children.
Journalists at the mall said they saw at least 10 dead bodies and dozens wounded hours after the attack began.
“We are treating this as a terrorist attack,” said police chief Benson Kibue, adding that there are likely no more than 10 attackers involved.
The Westgate Mall is situated in Nairobi’s affluent Westlands area and is frequented by expatriates and rich Kenyans. Millo said it was “the most popular spot in Nairobi” for Israelis and Westerners.
In late 2011, Somali rebel group al-Shabab vowed to carry out a large-scale attack in Nairobi in retaliation for Kenya’s sending of troops into Somalia to fight Islamist insurgents.
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