Gunfire, blasts as troops mount the final assault

Explosions and gunfire lasted throughout the day Tuesday at the besieged Westgate Mall as Kenyan troops entered the shopping centre and took full control.
The Kenya Defence Forces and the Internal Security ministry said at midday that they had secured all floors in the building and were now mopping up the area — clearing any explosives and killing or capturing the attackers.
The fate of the hostages and the other people in the building remained unknown. None of the soldiers who spoke to journalists talked about them.
Kenyan troops had expected to engage in urban warfare for which the Special Forces and the Rangers Strike Force are trained in Kismayu, but this was not to be.
The fighting at Westgate can be a costly affair in terms of human lives because there are usually many places for the fighters to hide and attack from.
Fighters can also be disadvantaged if they don’t have an idea about the floor plan of the building as those who know it well would know where to hide and shoot from.
The troops used dogs to sniff for bombs before entering the areas. “Our mission was to identify and shoot,” a Kenyan soldier said.
There were eight explosions between 10am and 5pm with gunfire also throughout the day.
The assault on the mall, called the final assault, started at about 5pm on Sunday with the terrorists shooting at the Kenyan forces from windows and on those who tried to enter the building. Witnesses reported a serious gunfight.
Kenyan and foreign forces led the assault. Kenyan officers and soldiers from the Special Forces, Rangers Strike Force, the 20 Parachute Battalion, 7 Kenya Rifles and the Kenya Air Force have been working with the Recce Company of the General Service Unit and regular and administration police.
The foreigners are the Israeli and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations.
At the end of the assault on Day Four, the mop-up started, but most bodies were not removed. Police say that the death toll could rise significantly after bodies are recovered. They said some had their throats slit.
By yesterday evening, there were 37 bodies at the City Mortuary, while another 15 bodies were at the Lee Funeral Home. Other are at the MP Shah Hospital.
Investigations start today amid indications that the attackers surveyed the mall for several weeks. Also, given the nature and quantity of the ammunition used by the gunmen, detectives say they could have been brought to the mall over a period of time. Work is also in progress to establish the identity of the people captured by Closed Circuit Television cameras.
The attackers appeared to have clear understanding of the building’s architectural plan.
Detectives are also investigating leads that some of the attackers had rented a boutique on the first floor for at least three months. It is suspected they may have stocked up on ammunition and heavy fire power during that period.
Heavy gun battles reverberated from the building for the better part of yesterday. It is feared the hostages may not have survived.
An alert from an operative closely linked to Israel Mossad’s intelligence agency and the American Embassy indicated fool-proof CCTV reels of terrorists moving casually in and out of the building pointing to a well-executed inside job.
There are vehicles in Westgate basement that have been there for more than a month and verifying the owners begins today. On Monday night, the external parking bay collapsed and several vehicles parked there caught fire. Three Kenya Defence Force soldiers died and eight others are nursing injuries at the Forces Memorial Hospital.

Reported by John Ngirachu and Zadock Angira