Islam Times - Kenya forces still fighting ‘one or two’ gunmen, security sources say

Islam Times - Kenyan security forces are still fighting “one or two” gunmen holed up inside Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping center, security sources say.

The Fresh battle came early on Tuesday, hours after the Kenyan foreign ministry announced that the Special Forces were in “full control” of the mall.

Sporadic gunshots and the sound of blasts could be heard from inside the mall at daybreak, witnesses said.

According to the security forces, a number of hostages had been rescued and taken to a military hospital, though there are still conflicting reports on the fate or the number of other hostages inside the building.

On September 21, Heavily-armed al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab militants stormed the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, taking hostages and holding onto the mall for four days.

Officials have confirmed that more than 60 people have been killed so far and some 200 have been wounded.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said on Monday that two or three US citizens and one British woman were among the mall attackers.

Al-Shabab militants, however, denied that any foreigners were among the assailants.

The UN special envoy for Somalia Nicholas Kay called for stepping up fight against the al-Shabab fighters, who claimed the responsibility for the deadly assault on the mall in neighboring Kenya.

“The UN approach and my approach to al-Shabab in Somalia is we need to intensify our campaigns,” Kay said in Geneva, adding, “It must be military, but also political and practical... On all three, we need to redouble our efforts."

The militants, the majority of whom are reportedly from Somalia, said the raid was in retaliation for the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia.