Kenyan mall hostage crisis continues, 59 reported dead

The Somali militant group Al Shabab—whose leadership has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda—has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Women carrying children run for safety as armed police hunt gunmen who went on a shooting spree in Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi September 21, 2013. (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

As the standoff between Kenyan security forces and armed gunmen at an upscale Nairobi shopping mall entered it second day Sunday, authorities confirmed that 59 people were killed and 175 were injured during the initial assault.

UN Secretary General Ba-Ki Moon condemned the attack in remarks from the UN Sunday morning, calling it “reprehensible,” and expressing condolences to the families of the dead and wounded. Approximately 10 gunmen armed with AK-47s and grenades stormed the Westgate mall around noon and began shooting, the Associated Press reported.

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“The perpetrators must be brought to justice as soon as possible,” he said, adding that a retired UNICEF staff member was killed during the attack.

There were still gunmen inside the mall—with spectators outside the mall hearing sporadic gunfire bursts—Sunday and an unknown number of people remained unaccounted for, NBC’s Ron Allen reported from Nairobi. An explosion that may have been part of a government response to the hostage crisis rocked the mall Sunday afternoon, NBC News reported.

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The Somali militant group Al Shabab—whose leadership has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda—has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabab claimed they attacked in retribution for the Kenyan military’s involvement in Somalia, tweeting Saturday that there would be “severe consequences” if the Kenyan military did not withdraw its forces.

In a statement Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry called the attack “a heartbreaking reminder” of the danger of extremist groups. “Attacks like this can’t change who we are, a people committed to peace and justice for all, but rather must reaffirm our determination to counter extremism and promote tolerance everywhere.” he said.