Kenyan President Says Nairobi Attackers «Eliminated», Toll Climbs to 14

Local Editor

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Wednesday that all Takfiris who had stormed an upmarket hotel complex had been "eliminated" after an almost 20-hour siege that left 14 dead.

"I can now confirm that... the security operation at Dusit is over and all terrorists have been eliminated," Kenyatta said in a televised address to the nation.

He said 14 people had been killed and 700 civilians rescued from the building, but did not clarify if people were still hiding in the complex.

Security forces worked throughout the night to secure the DusitD2 compound, which includes a 101-room hotel, spa, restaurant and office buildings, after an attack claimed by al-Shabaab Takfiri on Tuesday afternoon.

At least one suicide bomber blew himself up at the hotel while gunmen sprayed fire before engaging security forces and holing themselves up at the premises as civilians fled or barricaded themselves in their offices awaiting rescue.

"We have 15 people dead as of now and that includes foreigners," a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Among the dead was an American citizen, a State Department official said.

A second police source confirmed the toll but warned "there are areas not yet accessed but that's what we know so far."

After 12 hours trapped inside the complex, a group of dozens of people was freed at 3:30am (1230GMT), according to an AFP journalist at the scene, followed by fresh gunfire and a detonation.

"We still believe there are two or three attackers in specific locations," the first police officer said. "The situation is far from over."

The second police officer said that at one point they had been sure the attackers had been neutralized after a long period without shooting, however gunfire resumed again after 2 a.m.

Further explosions and gunfire were heard shortly before dawn, with no official word on how many people were still trapped inside.

"There is a floor where they are shooting from, we still believe there are people there," he said, after reports that a large number of people had fled upstairs.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team