Muslim terrorists launched an attack on Saturday at a Westgate Shopping Mall in Kenya, killing at least 62 people. Kenya Chief of Defense forces Gen. Julius Karangi said that the terrorists were likely partnered with al-Shabab, a group close to al-Qaeda, and based in Somalia. The group has been fighting in Somalia to try to convert it to Islam, and Kenya has forces combating the group there. There were believed to be between 10 and 15 attackers inside the mall.
However, an assault led by Kenyan forces on Monday seems to have ended the standoff, and Kenyan police Inspector General David Kimaiyo said that forces had “taken control of all the floors. We’re not here to feed the attackers with pastries but to finish and punish them.” A few gunmen may still be inside the building though, so security measures will continue through Tuesday.
Kenyan authorities also say that 10 people have been arrested for questioning about the attack, and four were taken into custody at an airport. Security has been heightened at all nearby airports, and travelers will be closely inspected.
There is also speculation that Americans may have been involved in the attack, as Al-Shabaab released a list of names of attackers, and said three were from the U.S. However, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, “At this point we have no definitive evidence of the nationalities or identities of the perpetrators.”
