Kenya Mall Attack: Kenyan Officials Claim To Be In Control of Mall, Attackers Disagree

Islamic militants who staged a deadly attack on a Kenya mall said Tuesday hostages are alive and their fighters are “still holding their ground,” contradicting Kenyan officials’ claims that they are in a final push.
Explosions rang from the mall in the morning and at midday, and gunfire could also be heard, despite the Kenyan government assurances of success.
Fresh smoke was seen rising from the upscale Westgate Mall in Nairobi.
As the crisis continued, Nairobi’s city morgue braced for the arrival of a large number of bodies of people killed, an official said.

Earlier, the Kenyan Red Cross confirmed at least 62 people had been killed, but spokesman Abbas Gullet said it was still not known how many more may be dead inside the building.
“It is certainly known that there are more casualties,” he said.
A government official said that the morgue was preparing for up to an additional 60 bodies, though the official didn’t know an exact count.
The government official insisted on anonymity so he would not face retribution from government officials.
On the fourth day of fighting at the Westgate mall, three Kenyan soldiers died and eight others were receiving treatment, the Kenyan Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
A soldier emerging from the mall said “we are finished,” but then conceded that government forces were still trying to secure the entire interior.
He said troops were checking for explosives, and to see if they could find any survivors in certain areas including the mall’s movie theater and casino.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he said he was under orders not to speak to media.
The al-Qaida-linked attackers gave a conflicting account of the mall conflict, using social media.
“There are countless number of dead bodies still scattered inside the mall, and the mujahideen are still holding their ground,” said the Somali rebel group al-Shabab in a Twitter message considered to be genuine.
It added that the hostages are “still alive looking quite disconcerted but, nevertheless, alive.”
But Kenyan police urged people to ignore “enemy… propaganda” and assured that the defense forces were continuing to “neutralize” the terrorist threat.
“Troops now in mop up operations in the building,” the police said on Twitter.