Kenya Siege: British Woman 'Among Attackers'

A British woman and "two or three Americans" are among the militants who took part in an attack on a shopping centre in Nairobi.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed confirmed al Shabaab fighters were responsible for the attack.

In an interview with the PBS Newshour programme, Ms Mohamed said: "Both the victims and the perpetrators ... came from Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"From the information that we have, (there are) two or three Americans, and I think so far I have heard of one Brit."

Asked about the British woman, Ms Mohamed added: "A woman, woman, and I think she has done this many times before."

Samantha Lewthwaite is known to be in East Africa

The announcement will fuel speculation that British terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to the July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, was involved in the Kenya attack.

Ms Lewthwaite, dubbed the "White Widow", is known to be in East Africa and is wanted by Kenyan police over alleged links to a terrorist cell that planned to bomb the country's coast.

In March last year officials said she had fled to Somalia and that officers were hunting a woman who used several identities, including hers.

On Monday night, Ms Lewthwaite's grandmother, Elizabeth Allen, 86, of County Down in Northern Ireland, was said by a friend to be "deeply distressed" by suggestions her granddaughter had been involved in the attack.

Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed spoke to the PBS Newshour programme

Ms Lewthwaite has gained "semi-mythical status" since travelling to East Africa, according to terrorism expert, Raffaello Pantucci, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Mr Pantucci said: "There has been a lot of speculation about it. Samantha Lewthwaite, since she appeared in East Africa, has been elevated in some ways to a semi-mythical status.

"I don't think we've had any concrete evidence of her being involved in this incident, but the fact of her being mentioned in this context is not surprising because of her connections, and it is known that she is somewhere in East Africa."

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "Aware of the Foreign Minister's comment, we continue to liaise very closely with the Kenyan authorities and to support their investigation into this attack.

"The UK will do everything it can to support the Kenyans bringing everyone responsible for this vicious attack to justice."

Ms Mohamed said the Americans involved in the shopping centre attack are aged about 18 or 19 years.

"The Americans, from the information that we have, are young men. About between 18 and 19, of Somali origin or Arab origin, but ... lived in the US in Minnesota and one other place," she said.

"I think that just goes to underline the global nature of the war that we're fighting."

FBI sources are investigating claims that the terrorists involved in the attack were recruited in the Midwest in a Somali community known as "Little Mogadishu" in Minneapolis, according to The Times.

Somalia's al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which began on Saturday.

Kenyan security forces claim they have taken control of the shopping centre after a final assault on the militants, however, heavy gunfire can still be heard coming from the complex.

Some security sources say some of the terrorists could still be hiding.

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Kenya Siege: Heavy Gunfire Heard Inside Mall

Heavy bursts of gunfire have been heard from inside a Nairobi shopping centre where gunmen have killed at least 62 people.

It comes only hours after Kenya's interior ministry said security forces were "in control" of the Westgate mall following a three-day siege.

All hostages trapped by the attackers have been evacuated from the Nairobi complex, according to government spokesman Manoah Esipisu.

But he cautioned that some of the insurgents could still be hiding after up to 15 of them stormed the building on Saturday in a grenade and gun attack targeting shoppers.

Troops have been combing the building overnight, going from floor to floor looking for "anyone left behind", said the interior ministry.

Kenya's Citizen TV was suggesting that troops had killed six of the remaining attackers.

Victims: Ross Langdon, Eliv Yavus and eight-year-old Jenah Bawa

According to Sky News sources the British military is now giving assistance to Kenyan forces at the mall and has offered further assistance.

On Monday, the Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, said: "As the Prime Minister made clear, we have said we will provide them with any assistance which they request. We haven't yet been asked to provide any assistance beyond broad background advice."

The gunmen were believed to be members of al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group al Shabaab which said the assault was in retaliation for Kenya's military helping the government in Mogadishu.

Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said a British woman and "two or three Americans" were among the militants.

Six British nationals are believed to have been killed in the terror attack. Among the dead were eight-year-old Jenah Bawa and 33-year-old Ross Langdon.

Smoke is seen rising from the shopping centre

Almost 200 people were hurt in the attack, and 63 others had been recorded missing by the Red Cross - a figure thought to include hostages as well as those possibly killed.

Mr Esipisu said: "Our special forces are inside the building checking the rooms. Obviously it's a very, very big building.

"We think that everyone, the hostages, have been evacuated but we don't want to take any chances. The special forces are doing their job and yes, I think we are near the end."

He also told AFP: "The special forces call this sanitising. It's a very complex and very delicate operation.

"At the moment they have not met any resistance, but of course we are not ruling out the possibility that there are a couple of them hiding in a remote room or corner."

Earlier, Islamist militants were reported to be "running and hiding" in stores as security forces closed in.

Kenyan police said three terrorists had been killed and others were hurt after the military launched a major assault.

Police and volunteers react after hearing gunshots

Eleven soldiers from the Kenyan Defence Force were wounded in the fighting, and more than 10 people have been arrested over Saturday's attack.

Interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku said there was "no way out" for the militants and "no room for escape".

Around lunchtime on Monday, four huge explosions were heard followed by a barrage of gunfire at the shopping complex in the Kenyan capital.

Black smoke poured from the top of the building as troops lay siege to the mall while military and police helicopters circled above.

Security officials at the scene said the explosions had been caused by Kenyan forces who set off blasts to get in through the roof.

However, Mr Lenku said the smoke had been down to the al Shabaab fighters setting fire to mattresses as a decoy.

US President Barack Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, said the United States stood with Kenyans against "this terrible outrage."

"We will provide them with whatever law enforcement support that is necessary. And we are confident that Kenya will continue to be a pillar of stability in eastern Africa."

The atrocity is the worst in Nairobi since an al Qaeda bomb attack on the US embassy in 1998 that killed more than 200 people.

The Kenyan Red Cross has set up a webpage for anyone worried about friends or relatives who might be caught up in the siege.

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

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Merkel Romps To Victory In German Election

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Angela Merkel has triumphed by securing a third term as German Chancellor but she will have to find new coalition partners to govern Europe's largest economy.

Her conservative Christian Democratic Union and its sister party the Christian Social Union saw their combined share of the vote rise by 8% in an unexpectedly strong endorsement of her austerity policies.

Ms Merkel told supporters it was "a super result" but she did not immediately speculate about the shape of the next government.

Ms Merkel will have to forge alliances with traditional opponents

"I see the next four years in front of me and I can promise that we will face many tasks, at home, in Europe and in the world," she said during a television appearance on Sunday night.

"The party leadership will discuss everything when we have a final result but we can already celebrate tonight."

Preliminary official results showed that overall the CDU/CSU won 41.5%, seeing off the main opposition Social Democrats who managed 25.7%.

It was a poor night for the liberal Free Democratic Party, which was Ms Merkel's coalition partner since 2009, and saw its support plummet by nearly 10% to 4.8%.

It fell beneath the 5% threshold of national support and so is barred from the Bundestag, the national parliament.

Its humiliation almost handed Ms Merkel an absolute majority, as its exclusion lowered the number of seats the CSU would have needed to control the chamber.

But she is just shy of that total, so will need to forge alliances in order to govern.

It seems most likely she will seek a "grand alliance" with the SDP, which will be expected to seek promises in return for its support.

They could include a greater emphasis on growth across the eurozone, rather than austerity, and the introduction of a minimum national wage.

But Ms Merkel's support from the electorate is so strong, it will strengthen her hand in any negotiation.

It is unlikely there would be an obvious sea-change in the government's political trajectory.

That will be welcomed by many in the EU and leaders around the world who know that a change of direction might spook the markets and raise borrowing costs for indebted nations.

It will also cheer Prime Minister David Cameron, as Ms Merkel appears to share his conviction that the EU could be strengthened if power flows from Brussels back to member states.

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Kenya Stand-Off: Explosions In Renewed Assault

Kenyan troops are carrying out a major assault in an attempt to end the stand-off with al Shabaab gunmen inside the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi.

At least three loud explosions and heavy gunfire have been heard coming from the complex where 68 people, including three Britons, have died since the siege began on Saturday.

There have also been reports of ambulances being driven at high speed from the scene.

One of the Britons killed in the attack has been named in reports as Ross Langdon, who had dual nationality with Australia.

Ross Langdon is feared to be among those killed

An architect, he apparently died alongside his girlfriend who was heavily pregnant, according to Australian media.

The Kenyan Defence Force said on its Twitter feed this morning that it was making every effort to bring the situation "to a speedy conclusion".

It said it has secured most of the shopping centre, and most of the hostages have been rescued.

Officials say up to 15 al Shabaab militants may still be inside the centre. They have threatened to kill the remaining hostages.

Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna told Sky News: "We cannot reveal the numbers of gunmen we suspect are there, but we estimate the operation will end very soon.

Kenyan soldiers enter the main gate of the shopping centre

"We do not negotiate with terrorists and that position has not changed. Everyone who has been rescued is being checked to make sure none of the terrorists escaped during the dragnet."

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said there have been "numerous offers of assistance from friendly countries" to help end the stand-off, but that for now it remains a Kenyan operation.

However, a Kenyan security source has confirmed that Israeli agents "are rescuing the hostages and the injured". The Westgate shopping complex is part Israeli-owned.

Britain's SAS is also reportedly helping out in an advisory role.

The Kenyan Red Cross confirmed 68 people have been killed. At least 49 remain missing and around 200 have been injured. Five of these are said to be from the US.

A Kenyan army soldier takes cover behind a wall near the centre

Police have conceded the number of dead could be "much, much higher", after reports emerged that there are multiple fatalities still inside the shopping centre.

The Foreign Office confirmed three Britons were among those killed and warned that number was likely to rise.

Prime Minister David Cameron is cutting short a visit to Balmoral to chair a meeting of the emergency response committee Cobra in London later today. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond will chair an earlier Cobra meeting this morning.   

Mr Cameron has described the attack on the shopping complex as "despicable" and an act of "appalling brutality".

Also killed were two Canadians, two French citizens, two Indian citizens, a South Korean, a South African, a Dutch woman and the former UN envoy Kofi Awoonor.

Briton Samantha Lewthwaite: Is she involved

The Foreign Office is investigating claims that a female British terror suspect nicknamed the "White Widow" could be linked to the plot.

Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, is wanted by Kenyan police over links to a suspected terrorist cell

In March 2012 it was reported that Lewthwaite, 29, who is originally from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had fled across the border from Kenya to Somalia.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay, in Nairobi, said: "We know that she'd been in the area. She has been linked to a number of attack in east Africa and they have been trying to capture her.

"Interestingly she has been used in the past with planning and propaganda, not actual assaults, although there is some evidence she has been linked to at least one.

Onlookers watch as the stand-off continues at the Westgate complex

"It is difficult to know whether or not it is her. The government have said there have been reports of more than one woman involved.

"The president himself has said the women appeared to have command positions in al Shabaab, which does appear to be extremely well organised.

"It is thought to consist of foreign nationals as well as people from Somalia. I've heard reports of one Briton being involved and someone from Canada as well."

Security forces have taken control of the upper and lower levels of the shopping complex, and an army spokesman told Sky News they were trying to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.

Other reports suggested the attackers are holed up in a toilet block next to a supermarket on the ground floor of the complex.

The Somalia-based al Shabaab militant group has claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks.

Mr Kenyatta said one of his nephews and his nephew's fiancee were among the people confirmed killed.

"They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts," the president said in an emotional speech to the nation. "We will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully."

The attack is the worst in Nairobi since an al Qaeda bombing at the US embassy killed more than 200 people in 1998.

Judges at the International Criminal Court have adjourned the trial of Kenyan vice president William Ruto for a week to allow him to return home and help deal with the hostage crisis.

Ruto and Mr Kenyatta face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to their role in coordinating a wave of violence that swept Kenya in the aftermath of the country's contested 2007 elections.

The Kenyan Red Cross has set up a webpage for anyone worried about friends or relatives who might be caught up in the siege.

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

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Kenya: 'If You Were Muslim They Let You Go'

A witness to the attack by al Shabaab militants on a shopping centre in Nairobi has told Sky News the gunmen killed anyone who was not Muslim.

Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi, said: "We heard three explosions outside the building then all of a sudden we heard gunshots and people ducked down.

"A lot of people were shot while they were trying to escape. I saw one of the gunmen with an AK-47 and later two of them were talking and it sounded like Somali or Arabic."

Ms Ahmed said the attackers released people who were able to prove they could speak Arabic.

Armed police search customers taking cover in a washroom

"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.

"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don't understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."

Hannah Chisholm, a Briton visiting Nairobi, said she and 60 others barricaded themselves into a large storeroom.

"We kept running to different places but the shots were getting louder so we barricaded ourselves along with about 60 others into a large storeroom," she said.

"There were children hiding with us as well as someone who had been shot. The gunfire was loud and we were scared but at that point we thought the gunmen were thieves so we assumed they wouldn't try to reach the storeroom."

Satpal Singh, who was in a cafe when the attackers struck, said he ran downstairs before he was shot near the exit.

"A Somali guy shot at me," he said. "He was carrying a rifle, an AK-47."

A witness, who gave only his first name, Jay, said: "They were not speaking Swahili. They spoke something that seemed like Arabic or Somali."

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Kenya Attack: Hostages Held In Terror Strike

Gunmen are holding hostages inside a Nairobi shopping centre where dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a terrorist attack.

Several children were among those massacred by al Qaeda-linked terrorists armed with guns and grenades at the Westgate shopping centre in Kenya's capital.

Kenyan Red Cross chief Abbas Gullet told the AFP news agency that at least 43 people were killed and 200 injured.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said British nationals were caught up in the "callous and cowardly and brutal" attack.

Hundreds of shoppers were caught up in the attack

The Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre said the number of hostages still being held by al Shabaab gunmen inside the complex remains unknown.

The lower and upper floors of the centre have been secured but witnesses reported hearing fierce gunfire and explosions on Sunday morning, more than 20 hours after the siege began.

A Kenyan security officer at the scene said: "We will free all those inside and stop this.

"We cannot give details of the operations except to say that everything that can be done is being done."

Security staff rescued those unable to walk

Gunmen wearing bullet-proof vests opened fire and detonated grenades inside the shopping centre, which is popular with expatriates and wealthy Kenyans.

Some of those killed were executed after failing to recite a Muslim prayer at gunpoint. Others were shot at the entrance to the mall as they tried to escape.

Two Canadians have been confirmed dead in the attack, while two French citizens are understood to be among those killed.

The US State Department said American citizens have reportedly been injured but not killed.

The Westgate shopping centre is located in the centre of Nairobi

The Somalia-based al Shabaab terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack and warned of more attacks.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has spoken to the nation in a televised address, saying Kenya had "overcome terrorist attacks before, and we will defeat them again".

"Our security forces are in the process of neutralising the attackers and securing the mall," he added.

"Terrorism is a philosophy of cowards. They want to cause fear and despondency in our country, but we will not be cowed.

Armed security staff went from shop to shop looking for the attackers

"I ask God to give you comfort. My government will provide the support needed in the days to come."

Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi caught up in the attack, told Sky News how the attack began.

"We heard three explosions outside the building then all of a sudden we heard gunshots and people ducked down," she said.

"A lot of people were shot while they were trying to escape. I saw one of the gunmen with an AK-47 and later two of them were talking and it sounded like Somali or Arabic."

Police rescued hostages as they searched for the gunmen

Ms Ahmed said the attackers released people who were able to prove they were Muslim.

"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.

"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don't understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.

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Plane Diverts To Stansted: Pair Arrested

Two men have been arrested after a plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted Airport.

The Sri Lankan Airlines A330 Airbus, which was carrying 267 passengers and crew, was due to land at Heathrow Airport but was diverted to the Essex airport just after 7.30pm on Friday.

Officers boarded the plane and arrested the pair on suspicion of endangering an aircraft, Essex Police said.

A spokesman for the force said: "The passengers have been removed safely and inquiries are ongoing."

The remaining passengers are being looked after at a reception centre at Stansted and are due to be transferred to Heathrow later this morning.

A spokesman for Stansted said last night: "Stansted Airport can confirm a Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A330 diverted into Stansted at approximately 19.30 this evening.

"The aircraft, which was flying from Columbo to Heathrow, landed safely with Essex Police in attendance.

"The airport is open and flights are arriving and departing as normal."

In May this year, two men were arrested on board a plane from Pakistan carrying 297 passengers that was intercepted and diverted to Stansted by RAF typhoon jets.

Police later said the incident in May was being treated as criminal rather than terrorism-related.

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