An anonymous senior figure in Somalia’s militant group, al Shabab has told reporters that the group is behind Saturday’s attack on the Westgate Shopping Mall in the capital Nairobi which has so far claimed 68 lives and left close to 200 people injured.

He said they carried out the attack in response to Kenya’s military operations in Somalia. There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the southern part of Somalia, where they have been fighting the militants since 2011.

But Shabab has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenya if it did not pull its troops out of Somalia.

“We have said it already, Kenya should pull its troops from Somalia, they are violating our laws, if they fail to pull out, we will continue to target them and this just the beginning’’ the anonymous voice uploaded on a website liked to the group said.

The Westgate shopping Mall is owned by an Israelite and the attack has claimed many prominent personalities on the continent and across the world.
Renowned Ghanaian poet writer and professor, Kofi Awoonor was killed in the attack; President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nephew and his fiancée were also among the dead.
The UK Foreign Office has confirmed that three Britons have been killed, and says the number is likely to rise.

US officials say the wife of an American working for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was also killed in the attack.
French, Dutch, South African, Indian and Canadian nationals are also among the foreigners confirmed killed, along with a dual Australian-British national.
In a news conference on late Sunday, Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta said the country was united and strong in adversity.

“The criminals are now located in one place within the building, with the professionals on site, we have as good a chance to neutralize the terrorists as we could hope for”, he said.
President Barack Obama is reportedly to have called President Kenyatta on Sunday to express his condolences and promised US support for Kenya’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

Meanwhile, heavy gunfire and explosions have been heard at the shopping centre in early hours of Monday morning.
A calculated guess by the Kenyan military has it that about 10 to15 militants are thought to be still inside the Westgate shopping centre.

The battle to end the long stand-off is continuing and conditions for those trapped inside the complex is deteriorating but the Kenyan forces are doing all they can to end the bloodshed.

A Kenyan security official told the BBC that Kenyan forces were receiving foreign assistance from US and Israel.

But in a latest development, an audio statement carried by the same website which published the anonymous voice claiming Shabab is behind the attack has it again that, all hostages will be killed if force is used by the Kenyan military and foreign troops from Israel and US.

“Israelis and Kenyan forces have tried to enter Westgate (mall) by force but they could not, the mujahideen (fighters) will kill the hostages if the enemies use force,” a voice attributed to Shabab spokesman, Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said.

Stay tune for more updates……..

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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