Dozens of hostages were holed up in an upscale shopping mall in Kenya’s capital, forced to hide from gunmen following an attack by members of an Al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group on Saturday that left at least 68 dead and 175 injured. But military authorities later reported that most of the hostages had been freed.
United States State Department has confirmed that Americans were at the mall, where about 15 people were still trapped inside.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the country was united and strong in adversity after the deadly attack. The Kenyan Red Cross said 68 people are now confirmed dead, after the bodies of nine hostages were recovered yesterday.
Journalists outside a security cordon had reported gunfire and a large explosion. Between 10 and 15 attackers - thought to be militants from the Somali al-Shabab movement - were still inside.
In his speech, Kenyatta, vowing to stand firm against Somali militants, was cautious about the outcome, saying chances of the siege ending well were “as good as we can hope for”.
“We will punish the masterminds swiftly and painfully,” he added, saying 59 people had been killed and more than 175 taken to hospitals.
A Ghanaian poet of distinction and one of Africa’s greatest literary icons, Professor Kofi Awoonor, three Britons and a diplomat from Canada were among the 68 killed, sources said yesterday.
Awoonor died yesterday morning from wounds received during Saturday’s ghastly and cowardly attack carried out by the Somali militant group Al Shabaab.
Ghanaian government officials in the capital, Accra, have confirmed news of the untimely demise of Prof. Awoonor. His son, who was with him at the time of the incident, also sustained injuries. He is said to be responding to treatment. Awoonor, 78, was in Kenya for the 2013 Storymoja Hay Festival – an event for the celebration of stories, ideas, writing and contemporary culture through storytelling, books, live discussion forums, workshops, debates, live performances and music.
Also, three Britons have been confirmed killed in the Saturday’s attack, Britain’s Foreign Office said yesterday. Foreign secretary William Hague chaired a meeting of the government’s crisis committee in London to discuss the incident in the Kenyan capital, his department said in a statement.
Islamist militants were holed up with hostages yesterday in an attack by the al Shabaab group that opposes Kenya’s participation in a peacekeeping mission in neighbouring Somalia.
A volley of gunfire lasting about 30 seconds interrupted a stalemate of several hours, a Reuters witness said, speaking from close to the shopping centre that has several Israeli-owned outlets and which is frequented by expatriates and Kenyans.
Meanwhile, United States President Barack Obama called Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday to express condolences over what the White House called a “terrorist attack” by the al Shabaab group.
“President Obama reiterated US support for Kenya’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice,” the White House said in a statement.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, confirming three Britons were dead, said: “We should prepare ourselves for further bad news.”
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