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| Gun attack on Kenyan shopping centre kills at least 22 | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least 22 people have been killed in a suspected terrorist attack in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after gunmen opened fire and threw grenades in an upmarket shopping centre. | |
| Witnesses said the men, brandishing AK47s, told Muslims to leave and shot those they believed were non-Muslims. | Witnesses said the men, brandishing AK47s, told Muslims to leave and shot those they believed were non-Muslims. |
| "It is a possibility that it is an attack by terrorists, so we are treating the matter very seriously," Mutea Iringo, the principal secretary in the ministry of interior, told Reuters. | "It is a possibility that it is an attack by terrorists, so we are treating the matter very seriously," Mutea Iringo, the principal secretary in the ministry of interior, told Reuters. |
| "Clear the area. We urge the public to keep off Westgate mall," the Ministry said in a statement on its Twitter account. | "Clear the area. We urge the public to keep off Westgate mall," the Ministry said in a statement on its Twitter account. |
| Abbas Guled, the secretary general of the Kenya Red Cross Society, said at least 20 people had been killed and another 50 were wounded in the attack at about midday. | Abbas Guled, the secretary general of the Kenya Red Cross Society, said at least 20 people had been killed and another 50 were wounded in the attack at about midday. |
| The Nairobi police chief, Benson Kibue, said officers were engaged in a shootout with the attackers. He initially said the men had been trying to rob a shop within the centre but later described the incident as a terrorist attack. | The Nairobi police chief, Benson Kibue, said officers were engaged in a shootout with the attackers. He initially said the men had been trying to rob a shop within the centre but later described the incident as a terrorist attack. |
| Elijah Kamau told the Associated Press the gunmen made the statement about Muslims as they began their attack. | Elijah Kamau told the Associated Press the gunmen made the statement about Muslims as they began their attack. |
| The interior ministry asked local media not to televise the gun battle live because the gunmen were watching the screens in the mall. | The interior ministry asked local media not to televise the gun battle live because the gunmen were watching the screens in the mall. |
| Armed police arrived nearly half an hour after the attack began and engaged the gunmen in a shootout. Officers shouted: "Get out, get out", and scores of shoppers fled the building. At least half a dozen were bloodied and helped by first-aiders. | Armed police arrived nearly half an hour after the attack began and engaged the gunmen in a shootout. Officers shouted: "Get out, get out", and scores of shoppers fled the building. At least half a dozen were bloodied and helped by first-aiders. |
| Security guards used shopping trollies to wheel out several wounded children and at least one man. | Security guards used shopping trollies to wheel out several wounded children and at least one man. |
| Rob Vandijk, who works at the Dutch embassy, said he was eating at a restaurant in the shopping centre when attackers lobbed grenades inside the building. He said gunfire then burst out and people screamed as they dropped to the ground. | Rob Vandijk, who works at the Dutch embassy, said he was eating at a restaurant in the shopping centre when attackers lobbed grenades inside the building. He said gunfire then burst out and people screamed as they dropped to the ground. |
| A former British soldier told reporters: "I personally touched the eyes of four people and they were dead. One of them was a child. It's carnage up there." | A former British soldier told reporters: "I personally touched the eyes of four people and they were dead. One of them was a child. It's carnage up there." |
| Cars were left abandoned outside the centre, which is located in the city's affluent Westlands area and is frequented by expatriates and wealthy Kenyans. | Cars were left abandoned outside the centre, which is located in the city's affluent Westlands area and is frequented by expatriates and wealthy Kenyans. |
| Other witnesses said they had seen about five armed assailants storm the shopping centre and that the incident appeared to be an attack rather than an armed robbery. | Other witnesses said they had seen about five armed assailants storm the shopping centre and that the incident appeared to be an attack rather than an armed robbery. |
| "They don't seem like thugs. This is not a robbery incident," Yukeh Mannasseh told Reuters. "It seems like an attack. The guards who saw them said they were shooting indiscriminately." | "They don't seem like thugs. This is not a robbery incident," Yukeh Mannasseh told Reuters. "It seems like an attack. The guards who saw them said they were shooting indiscriminately." |
| Kenya has seen a rise in terrorist attacks and threats in recent years, some of which are believed to be in retaliation for a military crackdown on the Somalian militant group al-Shabaab. The group vowed in 2011 to carry out a large-scale attack in Nairobi in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia to fight them. | Kenya has seen a rise in terrorist attacks and threats in recent years, some of which are believed to be in retaliation for a military crackdown on the Somalian militant group al-Shabaab. The group vowed in 2011 to carry out a large-scale attack in Nairobi in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia to fight them. |
| The attacks often involve gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades, and their targets include bars, nightclubs and restaurants in various parts of the country. A suspected al-Shabaab attack in January left five people dead and three injured at a restaurant in the eastern city of Garissa. While in August last year one person was killed and six injured in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi on the eve of a visit by Hillary Clinton, the then US secretary of state. | The attacks often involve gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades, and their targets include bars, nightclubs and restaurants in various parts of the country. A suspected al-Shabaab attack in January left five people dead and three injured at a restaurant in the eastern city of Garissa. While in August last year one person was killed and six injured in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi on the eve of a visit by Hillary Clinton, the then US secretary of state. |
| Last month 18 of the 19 US embassies and consulates across the Middle East and Africa were closed after a message between al-Qaida officials about plans for a major terrorist attack was intercepted. | Last month 18 of the 19 US embassies and consulates across the Middle East and Africa were closed after a message between al-Qaida officials about plans for a major terrorist attack was intercepted. |
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