Westgate shopping mall attack | |
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![]() Smoke over Westgate shopping mall on 23 September 2013 | |
Location | Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya |
Coordinates | 1°15′25″S 36°48′12″E / 1.25694°S 36.80333°E |
Date | 21 September 2013 ~12:00–12:30 on 21–24 September (UTC+3) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, hostage crisis, siege |
Weapons | AK-47s[1] Grenades |
Deaths | 67 victims 5 attackers |
Injured | 175[2] |
Perpetrators | Al-Shabaab |
On 21 September 2013, ten gunmen attacked Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The attack lasted until 24 September. The attackers held hostages and later fought in gun battles with Kenyan security forces. A total of 72 people were killed, including 61 civilians, 6 Kenyan soldiers and 5 attackers. Over 200 people were injured.
The Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.[3] It said that it was in retaliation for the Kenyan military's role in the Somali Civil War. Newly released intelligence report named Kenyan commander and chief in attack.[4]