Westgate Shopping Mall update: Four soldiers injured in exchange of fire in

By Cyrus Ombati

NAIROBI-KENYA: Heavy shooting characterised better part of Monday morning in Nairobi's Westgate Mall as the Kenya Defence forces engaged terrorist in the building since Saturday.

At 10.10 am sources told Standard Digital that there was sporadic shooting from inside the mall and a millitary ambulance was seen speeding out of the building.

Kenya's rescue efforts to free hostages still holed up inside the ill-fated Westgate shopping Mall entered third day amid heavy gunfire Monday morning which left four Kenyan Defence forces officers slightly injured.

It was not immediately clear if any of the terrorists was a casualty but heavy gunfire between Kenya’s Defence Forces and the attackers were heard Monday morning in what the Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna called final push to neutralise the terrorists.

Colonel Oguna confirmed four Kenyan soldiers were slightly injured in the exchange of fire and were receiving treatment and the rest were feeling even more determined to win against the terrorists.

"We have secured most of the floors in the building in this delicate operation," Oguna told The Standard Digital.

It is also not clear how many civilian hostages are holed up in the expansive building but the military said they expected just a handful of civilians were still taken hostage.

The military said the terrorists have been confined to a few pockets within the building as clearing of the mall in stages, room by room and floor by floor was being mounted by the security officers.

Military sources believe Monday will be the final day of assault to regain the building and rescue hostages.