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| How the attack happened |
ngisesa@standardmedia.co.ke
NAIROBI; KENYA: Forensic investigators sifted through the rubble at the Westgate Mall as questions lingered about the fate of dozens reported missing at the end of the deadly four-day siege.
Authorities had indicated the terrorists had hostages inside the upscale shopping complex during the standoff, but authorities, curiously, appeared to avoid the matter or give inconclusive responses after prodding.
President Kenyatta on Tuesday night said three floors of the building had collapsed and “there were several bodies still trapped in the rubble including some terrorists.”
On Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said although some bodies could still be trapped in the rubble, the number of the dead “is not expected to increase significantly.”
Officially, 67 people — 61 civilians and six security agents — were killed during the attack after gunmen struck the shopping complex on Saturday morning firing indiscriminately at shoppers and staff.
But the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) reported a death toll of 69, and added 63 were recorded as missing. The Government has blamed the inconsistency on a possible “double count” by aid workers. However, the last update given by KRCS yesterday afternoon points out that “the number of persons reported to KRCS as missing has risen to 71.”
Other than being involved in forensics, according to the Times of Israel, the role of Israelis in the Westgate Mall situation has not been clear.
On Monday, Israeli defence officials confirmed a team was dispatched to Nairobi within hours of the hostage crisis, but said that armed fighting units were not part of the delegation.
On Wednesday morning, soldiers from Langata’s Maroon Commandos were among the last combat units to leave the mall after the final assault early Tuesday.
Other teams that took part in the operation were the Kenya Defence Forces’ 75 Artillery, 20 Para, 30 Special Forces and 40 Rangers Strike Force unit.
“We left behind a team of Israeli experts who came with small dogs with big ears to start carrying out forensic (investigation),” said a soldier involved in the final operation.
The terrorists are said to have stuffed most of the bodies in specific rooms that were close to the source of the fire and where part of the building caved in.
“It might take several days to retrieve some of the bodies that might have been trapped in the debris,” said another soldier.On Tuesday after soldiers defeated the terrorists, one of the KDF soldiers described a “scene from a horror movie”.
“There was blood everywhere. Some bodies were burnt and others rotting,” he told The Standard. In some rooms, bodies were strewn on the floor, added the soldier, who declined to be named as he discussed the sensitive operation.
Yesterday, those who spoke to The Standard demanded a list of people killed or injured during the Westgate Mall siege. “Where can I go to find a complete list of Kenyans killed or injured at Westgate? I have a friend there that I have not heard from,” Ike Okafor enquired from The Standard last evening through e-mail.
Another mystery surrounds the terrorists – although officials estimated them at between 10 and 15, only five were reported killed after Special Forces stormed the building.
Explosion
There are questions as to the whereabouts of the rest, although authorities say 10 suspects are in custody.
By the time we went to press yesterday, a loud explosion was reported in Wajir town. However, The Standard could not immediately confirm what caused the explosion.
Earlier yesterday, forensic experts scoured the debris at Westgate Mall to identify bodies and secure vital evidence. Foreign teams from Israel, US, Canada, Germany and UK joined the operation.
Authorities said the priority was debris clearance to facilitate immediate recovery of bodies.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said the process, which involves fingerprinting, DNA and ballistics examination, would go on for the next seven days.
Lenku gave an update of the situation flanked by the Chief of Defence Forces Gen Julius Karangi, Inspector-General David Kimaiyo, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo and her Foreign Affairs counterpart Amina Mohamed, among others.
Authorities said they were yet to establish the identities of the terrorists. “We have also been asked about the presence of a woman among the terrorists. We cannot conclusively confirm the identity of any of the suspects until the forensic investigations have been concluded,” he added.
On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta chaired an emergency Cabinet meeting and another by the National Security Council.
Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia said the special NSAC meeting was “to push for a revitalised national and regional counter terrorism strategy and disaster management.”
Officials also fought off claims of intelligence failure, saying the Government had foiled several terror plots in the recent past.“The Government has received many terror alerts over the last two years, and prevented them without the knowledge of Kenyans. This was unfortunate,” Interior PS Mutea Iringo tweeted Wednesday.
Today, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service Michael Gichangi is expected to appear before the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations where the Westgate crisis could feature.
ngisesa@standardmedia.co.ke
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