NAIROBI, Kenya—President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Tuesday
that militants inside an upscale shopping mall here have been "shamed and
defeated," four days after the siege began.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday night, Mr.
Kenyatta said five militants had been killed and 11 suspects were in police
custody.
Mr. Kenyatta also mentioned unconfirmed intelligence
reports that two or three Americans were involved as well as a British woman,
but said an investigation into the nationalities of the attackers was
continuing.
Militants entered the popular Westgate shopping mall—a
popular spot for wealthy Kenyan and expatriates—and began shooting at the
Saturday lunchtime crowd.
In a fierce final exchange as night fell Tuesday, Kenyan
soldiers fired rocket propelled grenades at insurgents, triggering the
explosives that the al Shabaab militants had rigged inside the building,
according to a group of soldiers outside of the mall.
The massive blasts caused three of the mall's floors to
collapse upon each other. Although the structure of the building remained, the
collapsed floors made survival for anyone inside unlikely, according to a
lieutenant in the Kenyan Defense Forces.
The lieutenant said he hadn't seen any hostages during
the final stages of the operation.
"As far as we're concerned, the operation is complete,"
he said. "We don't expect there's anyone alive in there."
The lieutenant said it wasn't possible to see inside the
building because power systems had been destroyed. Rescue operations were
expected only expected to begin Wednesday morning, he said.
"We have shamed and defeated our attackers," he said.. more
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