Soldiers who took part in the assault
on terrorists at the Westgate Mall
Tuesday gave a glimpse of the
extent of the horrific attack at the
upmarket shopping centre, fuelling
fears the death toll would rise
significantly.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)
troops interviewed described the
situation inside the building as a
“scene from a horror movie.”
“There was blood everywhere. Some
bodies were burnt and others
rotting,” a soldier told The Standard
Tuesday. “The Nakumatt
supermarket floor had blood
splattered everywhere.”
In some rooms, bodies were strewn
on the floor, added the soldier, who
declined to be named as he
discussed the sensitive operation.
The casualties
President Uhuru Kenyatta said the
confrontation with terrorists left 240
casualties.
The President said 67 people,
including six security officers, had
been killed and 61 were still in
hospital following the Saturday
morning attack by the terrorists
estimated at between 10 and 15.
Red Cross reported 69 had died and
the fate of 63 listed missing unclear.
In a televised address from State
House, Nairobi, last night, President
Kenyatta said: “Towards the tail end
of the operation three floors of the
Westgate Mall collapsed and there
are several bodies still trapped in
the rubble including the terrorists.”
The President said five terrorists had
been killed and 11 suspects were in
custody. “Intelligence reports had
suggested that a British woman and
two or three American citizens may
have been involved in the attack...
We cannot confirm the details at
present... Forensic experts are
working to ascertain the nationalities
of the terrorists...,” he said.
“These cowards will meet justice, as
will their accomplices and patrons,
wherever they are,” declared
President Kenyatta, vowing Kenya
would not relent in the war against
terrorism.
“It has not been an easy time for
anyone of us, least of all the
affected; Our losses are immense,”
the President said as he declared
three days of national mourning
beginning today, to honour those
who lost their lives in the attack.
Official flags will fly at half-mast
throughout the country during this
period.
The Head of State said the agents of
terror “had the agenda of
perpetrating grievous mayhem in
our country, senselessly killing,
maiming and traumatising harmless,
innocent people...”
“We confronted this evil without
flinching, contained our deep grief
and pain, and conquered it... As a
nation, our head is bloodied, but
unbowed... The criminals found us
unafraid, as we ever shall be...We
cannot be conquered,” President
Kenyatta declared.
On Tuesday, The Standard learnt
tens of bodies were removed from
the building at about 6pm after
Special Forces secured it. Several
hearses ambulances and were
stationed outside the mall.
Another security officer said the mall
had been turned into ‘an abattoir’
within half an hour as gunmen went
on the rampage. Mortuary
attendants from the City Mortuary
were called in to the scene. Officials
said some of the bodies were badly
damaged and needed proper
dressing before being moved to the
mortuary.
Earlier, security forces had launched
the final assault shortly before 6am
Tuesday. For hours, bursts of
gunfire and explosions were heard
coming from the battle weary
building.
Roof caved in
A section of the roof caved in and
photographs emerged of burnt
shells of vehicles in the parking that
perhaps explained the plume of
black smoke that billowed into the
skies on Monday.
Authorities confirmed the terrorists
had rigged the four-storied building
with booby-traps and security forces
had to sweep the building,
explaining delays in the operation.
“We are doing a clean-up of
explosives that had been set up by
the terrorists,” the Kenya Police
posted on its Twitter account.
Officials also confirmed three KDF
soldiers had succumbed to their
injuries sustained during the assault
against the terrorists. Eight injured
soldiers are admitted at the Defence
Forces Memorial Hospital.
The fallen soldiers include Jacktone
Puodi, 27, who had graduated in
2009 from Moi Barracks, Nairobi.
Puodi responded to the call to duty,
and put himself in harms way, to
help free terrified hostages, who
could have included children like his
one-year-old girl.
The gallant soldier himself an
orphan, his parents died in 1996,
put his life on the line to ensure that
innocent civilians were not killed and
children robbed of their parents.
Meanwhile, a British national is
among seven men who were
detained at the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport ( JKIA).
The British government confirmed
Abdulrazak Sharif Ahmed, 35, is their
citizen.
The suspect reportedly had injuries
on his body and face when he
arrived at JKIA on Monday morning
ready to fly out to Turkey.
Police say a dozen people have
been arrested for questioning.
At the City mortuary, bodies of those
killed in the attack were laid out on
metal blocks, victims from all walks
of life, lying side-by-side as a deathly
stench filled the air.
For many families, the anguished
search for loved ones, missing since
the siege began Saturday morning,
crudely ended here.
Agnes Mutua shed tears as she
identified her nephew, whose body
she found lying on the cold surface.
Various hospitals
Agnes and her sister, Mary Mureithi,
had looked for him at various
hospitals hoping to find him alive.
Other families were however lucky.
Sundeep Sanbi’s daughter and wife
narrowly escaped with their lives.
Sanbi recounted how he rushed
from work to the mall on Saturday
on hearing news of the attack. He
talked to his wife on phone, as she
cowered with her daughter inside
one of the shops at the building as
the attackers shot indiscriminately.
She was rescued at around 3pm on
Saturday, alongside a couple of
other people under heavy gunfire.
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