Gunmen ambushed an upscale shopping mall in the Kenyan capital on September 20, Saturday, leading to a fierce gunbattle with police and at least 20 people killed, the Kenyan Red Cross said.
Hundreds of people were wounded in the attack at the mall in Nairobi, said Abbas Gullet, head of the Kenyan Red Cross.
The gunmen burst into the mall and shot indiscriminately, taking some people hostage, according to a senior Kenyan government source. According to information available on twitter, the gunmen took only non-Muslims as hostages.
It was unclear how many hostages the attackers took, but police are trying to negotiate for their release and retake the building, according to the source.
According to CNN, the attackers may belong to al-Qaeda linked Somalian militant group al-Shabab.
The military asked local media not to broadcast anything live because the gunmen are watching the screens in the mall.
Crowds fled down the streets as soldiers in military fatigues crawled under cars to get closer to the mall, shooting has been overheard and surveillance helicopters were spotted in the air.
“We urge Kenyans to keep off Westgate mall, adjacent roads and its environs until further notice,” the Interior Ministry said on its Twitter page.
First photos from the scene of the assault became available:
