Nairobi mall trauma: Kenyan military names attackers seen on CCTV

NAIROBI: Kenya’s military spokesman on Saturday named four men, including a Sudanese, a Kenyan Arab and a Somali, the spokesperson said took part in the militant attack on a Nairobi shopping mall two weeks ago in which at least 67 people were killed. Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage from the Westgate mall was broadcast on Kenyan television channels, apparently showing at least four alleged attackers with guns walking around the mall’s supermarket and a storage room. “I confirm these were the terrorists, they all died in the raid,” Maj Emmanuel Chirchir, spokesman for the Kenya Defence Forces, told Reuters. He gave their names as Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and Umayr. Kenya said previously that between 10 and 15 militants were involved in the mall attack. Al Sudani, from Sudan was the leader of the group inside the mall and had been trained by al Qaeda. “He is an experienced fighter and sharpshooter,” Chirchir said. Nabhan, a Kenyan of Arab origin, was born in Mombasa and travelled to Somalia with his uncle at the age of 16. Al Kene is said to be Somali from the capital Mogadishu, and is linked to al Shabaab militants, Chirchir said. Umayr’s other names, nationality and biography were not yet identified, he added. Somali al-Shabaab militants said on Saturday Western forces had raided a coastal town under cover of darkness and killed one of their fighters. It was not clear whether the assault was related to the attack on the Kenyan mall. Chirchir said he was trying to get details of the attack at Barawe, about 180km south of Mogadishu. Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2013.