Gunmen Gave Two Children Mars Bars Before Sparing Their Lives During K

'You're a very bad man': Astonishing moment British boy, four, confronted Kenyan mall gunman… who gave him Mars bars and begged for forgiveness
Boy was with mother and sister, 6, when terrorists burst into supermarketThey hid under a cold meat counter for over an hour before they were found
Child argued with attacker who said: 'Please forgive me, we're not monsters'
Children later seen holding chocolate next to dead body outside Nairobi mallGunfire heard early today despite Kenyan assurances mall had been secured'At least 10 hostages still being held by a band of Al Shabaab militants'
'Up to three American teenagers and a British woman among terrorists'British Defence Secretary confirms six UK deaths and weareliferuiner.com number could rise
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Published: 04:18 AEDT, 24 September 2013 | Updated: 00:14 AEDT, 25 September 2013






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A four-year-old British boy caught up in the Kenya mall massacre showed astonishing bravery by confronting a marauding gunman who ended up begging for his forgiveness, it emerged today.


The child told one of the terrorists that he was a 'very bad man' as he protected his mother who had been shot in the leg, and six-year-old sister.


Incredibly, the attacker took pity on the family and bizarrely handed the children Mars bars before telling them: 'Please forgive me, we are not monsters.'

His story emerged as sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from inside the mall early today as Kenyan security forces battled Al Qaeda-linked terrorists into a fourth day.

Despite Kenyan police assurances that they had taken control of the building, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 hostages were still being held by a band of attackers, possibly as many as 13.

Kenya's foreign minister Amina Mohamed said 'two or three' Americans and one British woman were among those who attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi.
Amazing courage: The four-year-old boy with his sister, six, stands holding a Mars bar given to him by a terrorist outside the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi





His mother told of her family's terrifying escape from Al Shabaab terrorists who butchered 62 people in the Nairobi shopping centre.


The film producer had been queuing to buy milk in Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Centre when the militants struck.

She hid under a cold meat counter in the Nakumatt supermarket for an hour-and-a-half with her children beneath her before terrorists finally found them and shot her in the thigh.
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The children's uncle told 'They had a lucky escape.
The terrorists said if any of the kids were alive in the supermarket they could leave.


'Their mother made the decision to stand up and say "yes".'

'My nephew started arguing with them and called them bad men. He was very brave.'


After discovering the advertising producer was of French origin, the men began to plead with her and claimed that the Muslim faith ‘was not a bad one'.

‘He told me I had to change my religion to Islam and said "do you forgive us? Do you forgive us?', the mother told The Independent.

‘Naturally, I was going to say whatever they wanted and they let us go'.


Bizarrely, the terrorists handed the children Mars bars before they fled with two other children, including a 12-year-old boy who had at first refused to leave his dead mother.


The fate of 20 others who had taken refuge under the meat counter is unknown.

The family's escape is particularly astonishing in light of the indiscriminate slaughter of men, women and children throughout the mall after Al Shabaab launched their assault on Saturday.
Ominous: A picture purportedly showing gunmen brandishing AK47s entering the mall




Civilians running for cover in the shopping mall after the masked attackers opened fire




Two children and a woman hide behind a bar inside the shopping mall in the hope they won't be found by the gunmen

Early today, sporadic gunfire rang out from inside the mall as Kenyan security forces battled Al Qaeda-linked terrorists into a fourth day in what they said was a final push to rescue the last few hostages in a siege that has left more than 60 people dead.




'Taken control of all the floors. We're not here to feed the attackers with pastries but to finish and punish them,' Kenyan police Inspector General David Kimaiyo said on Twitter.


Despite Kenyan government assurances of success, an explosion and gunfire could be heard coming from the mall at around 6.30am, followed by the sustained chatter of automatic weapons for about a minute almost three hours later, according to Associated Press reporters at the scene.

Security forces carried a body out of the mall, which remained on fire, with flames and smoke visible.




A Kenyan soldier wearing bomb disposal protective gear also exited the building.
On patrol: Kenyan soldiers patrol near the Westgate mall, where sporadic gunfire continued to ring out early on Tuesday as the siege entered a fourth day
Under control?

Despite Kenyan police assurances that they had taken control of the building, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 hostages were still being held by a band of attackers




'Like an abattoir': A Kenyan soldier prepares to enter the Westgate Mall, where miltants reportedly burnt the faces of their victims and cut off their hands to prevent them being identified
Horrific: It was reported that a woman had been sexually abused at gunpoint in front of young hostages

While the government announced Sunday that 'most' hostages had been released, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 were still being held by a band of attackers, described as 'a multinational collection from all over the world.'


A spokesman for the Foreign Office told MailOnline they had not received confirmation that the siege had ended.


Somalia's rebel group Al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for the attack, posted an audio message on a pro-militant website late Monday that they were still in control of the building.




'Despite botched attempts by the Jews and Christians to recapture the mall today, the mujahideen are still in control of the Westgate,' al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said in the message.




'The upper hand still remains theirs,' he said.
Regular updates: Tweets from an account purportedly representing the Al Shabaab terror group claimed on Tuesday that the gunmen were still holding their ground
Drama: A television reporter makes a telephone call while filming during a bout of heavy gunfire shortly after dawn on Tuesday at the Westgate centre

Kenya's foreign minister Amina Mohamed said up to three Americans and one British woman were among the terrorists.


Britain's foreign office said it was aware of the foreign minister's remarks, but would not confirm if a British woman was involved. 

The attacker from Britain was a woman who has 'done this many times before,' Mohamed said which lends weight to speculation that the so-called 'White Widow' Samantha Lewhwaite may have taken part in the raid.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said there had been six British deaths and the number could rise.




An artistic director from Leicester said four of his relatives were killed as they took part in a television programme called Masterchef Junior.

Samir Bhamra told The Times: 'They were young people...
unfortunately they have all passed away. It's a very difficult time.'

Meanwhile, a British woman told how she crawled to safety with her seven-month-old baby in her arms after masked gunmen stormed a cafe.

Bethan Rayner, 35, who grabbed daughter Hani during a break in the gunfire, told The Sun: 'It was terrifying.

We are still in shock.'


U.S. officials said they were looking into whether any Americans were involved. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday that the department had 'no definitive evidence of the nationalities or the identities' of the attackers.



The security expert, who insisted on anonymity to talk freely about the situation, said many hostages had been freed or escaped in the previous 24-36 hours, including some who were in hiding.
Scouring the area: Kenyan security personnel patrol near the Westgate mall in Nairobi
Heavy response: A Kenya Defence Forces armoured military vehicle drives to the Westgate shopping centre after an exchange of gunfire inside the mall early on Tuesday

However, there were at least 30 hostages when the assault by al-Shabab militants began Saturday, he said, and 'it's clear' that Kenyan security officials 'haven't cleared the building fully.' 

Kenyan government spokesman Manoah Esipisu said the country's president would make an address to the nation later in the day but said he could give no immediate details on the operation.

Flames and dark plumes of smoke rose Monday above the Westgate shopping complex for more than an hour after four large explosions rocked the surrounding neighborhood.




The smoke was pouring through a large skylight inside the mall's main department and grocery store, where mattresses and other flammable goods appeared to have been set on fire, a person with knowledge of the rescue operation told The Associated Press. 

The explosions were followed by volleys of gunfire as police helicopters and a military jet circled overhead, giving the neighborhood the feel of a war zone.

An armored personnel carrier sat in front of the building. 

By Monday evening, Kenyan security officials said they had claimed the upper hand.




People run for cover after hearing gunshots near the Westgate shopping mall, as the three-day siege drew to an end
Smoke rises from the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi following a string of explosions during the third day of a stand-off between Kenyan security forces and gunmen inside the building

Kenya's Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said the evacuation of hostages had gone 'very, very well' and that Kenyan officials were 'very certain' that few if any hostages were left in the building. 

But with the mall cordoned off and under heavy security it was not possible to independently verify the assertions.




Similar claims of a quick resolution were made by Kenyan officials on Sunday and the siege continued.


Authorities have also not provided any details on how many hostages were freed or how many still remain captive. 

Three attackers were killed in the fighting Monday, Kenyan authorities said, and more than 10 suspects arrested.

Eleven Kenyan soldiers were wounded in the running gun battles.

An Al Shabaab spokesman, Rage, said in the audio file that the attackers had been ordered to 'take punitive action against the hostages' if force was used to try to rescue them.





Volunteers run for cover after hearing a volley of gunshots at the scene of the siege
 
A Western security official in Nairobi who insisted on not being named to share information about the rescue operation said the only reason the siege hadn't yet ended would be because hostages were still inside. 

Westgate mall, a vast complex with multiple banks that have secure vaults and bulletproof glass partitions, as well as a casino, is difficult to take, the official said.




'They are not made for storming,' he said of the labyrinth of shops, restaurants and offices. 'They're made to be unstormable.'

The massacre began on Saturday shortly before midday local time.


Witnesses told how terrorists with faces hidden by Islamic scarves stormed the building, tossing grenades and spraying shoppers with AK-47s.

Yesterday pictures emerged online that appeared to show the moment gunmen entered the shopping centre, pointing their weapons at terrified civilians. 

The killers, who were dressed in Western clothes, ordered all Muslims to leave, before carrying out rudimentary tests to see if hostages could recite the Koran and name the mother of the Prophet Mohammed.

Military forces take position inside a shopping mall following the attack by masked gunmen in Nairobi


Sporadic gun shots could be heard hours after the assault started as soldiers surrounded the mall and police and soldiers combed the building
People help a wounded man outside the Westgate shopping mall, as 69 people were slaughtered by the terrorists

Her son, 12, and daughter, 8, were injured as gunmen opened fire.

She said adults ‘were like animals, climbing over the children to get out'.

A Twitter account representing Al Shabaab, the group claiming responsibility for the attack, said it was carried out by terrorists from seven nations, including Britain, the US and Canada.

The group has recently split into two factions following bloody infighting.



Those not involved in the Nairobi attack are said to be spreading false information, raising questions over the veracity of initial reports that Londoners Ahmed Nasir Shirdoon, 24, and Liban Adam, 23, are among the gunmen.

Kenya's Chief of Defence Forces, General Julius Karangi, said fighters from several countries had participated in the attack, but would not specify which ones. 

‘We have an idea who they are, their nationality and even the number,' he said, adding that the militants were ‘clearly a multinational collection from all over the world'.



‘We have also have an idea that this is not a local event,' he said. ‘We are fighting global terrorism here and we have sufficient [intelligence] to suggest that.' 

At least three of the terrorists were killed, he added, after Kenyan forces moved into the five-storey complex, which was filled with some 1,200 people when it was stormed by three heavily armed groups on Saturday.

Kenyans were last night bracing themselves for further terror attacks after it was claimed dozens more militants from the organisation had bribed their way into the country.




A spokesman for Al Shabaab said all Britons in Kenya are ‘legitimate' targets because the UK has supported the African country's military intervention in neighbouring Somalia.

Yesterday David Cameron returned early from Balmoral, where he had been staying with the Queen, to chair an emergency Cobra meeting with Cabinet colleagues including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Chancellor George Osborne and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.


Our saviour: A soldier helps two women to safety.

His identity has been protected for security reasons
Horror: Shoppers hurry down an escalator with their hands in the air as they make their way out of the shopping centre to safety
Safety: Shoppers and shop assistants raise their hands as they are escorted out by armed police
Terrified: A young girl in tears is led away form the terror by a police officer

One security officer said the mall had been turned into ‘an abattoir' within half an hour, as gunmen went on the rampage.



Militants have reportedly burned their victims' faces and removed their hands in an attempt to conceal their identities; the bodies were piled against the main door to slow the progress of rescue teams.

Yesterday reports emerged online that an injured woman trapped inside had been sexually abused at gunpoint in front of young hostages.



It is believed that she has been shot in the shoulder, while her child has been killed.

Details of the incident were posted hundreds of times on Facebook.


The woman is said to have been able to speak several times with her husband, who is outside the shopping centre - but last night he had heard nothing from her for several hours.

Another witness, Kamille Kaur, was with several dozen children for a cookery competition on the mall's second floor when the attack began.


Wounded: A security officer helps an injured woman away from the building


Help: A man carries a boy away from the scene of the carnage earlier today
Killings: The fate of the hostages remained unclear this morning despite earlier statements from police saying most of those held had been rescued


Victim: Rescuers attempt to evacuate a man injured in the shooting




Desperation: An injured woman, whose face and clothes are drenched in blood, lies on the ground outside the shopping mall screaming for help












FROM PERU TO INDIA, THE MALL VICTIMS CAME FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE




Died together: British architect Ross Langdon, 33, and his pregnant girlfriend Elif Yavuz who were killed in the Kenyan shopping mall massacre



BRITAIN
British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said six British deaths occurred and the number could rise. 

They include architect Ross Langdon (pictured, right, with his Dutch-born pregnant girlfriend, Elif Yavuz, who was also killed) and Zahira Bawa and her eight-year-old daughter Jenah, from Leamington Spa in central England, a relative told Britain's Press Association news agency.




---
CANADA
Annemarie Desloges, a border services liaison officer in Canada's High Commission to Kenya, 'was one of our bright young lights, and hers was a career brimming with promise,' said Tim Edwards, president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. 

She was a 29-year-old from a 'foreign service family' and had accompanied her parents on overseas postings before deciding to follow in their footsteps in 2006. 

Vancouver businessman Naguib Damji also died in the attack, a daughter and niece confirmed to various media. 

Two sisters from Toronto, 17-year-old Fardosa Abdi and 16-year-old Dheeman Abdi, were seriously injured.




Their aunt Hodan Hassan said from her home in Minnesota that Fardosa was in critical condition with severe leg injuries.
---
CHINA
A 38-year-old Chinese woman with the surname Zhou who worked in the real estate industry was killed, state media said.

Her son was injured in the attack and was in stable condition in a hospital, according to the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.
---
FRANCE
Two French victims of the Nairobi terrorists were named last night as Corinne Dechauffour, 54 and her daughter Anne who was 27.

The murder of the two women who were from Nice on the French Riviera caused outrage in the southern city and in the rest of France.

The victims were gunned down in the car park of the Westgate Mall just after they had parked their car.

Distraught: Father Louis Bawa (left) is seen with his nine-year-old daughter Jennah (right).

She has been confirmed as one of the British victims in the Kenya terrorist attack, in which her mother also died



GHANA
Kofi Awoonor was a Ghanaian poet, professor and former ambassador to Brazil, Cuba and the United Nations.
Ghana's ministry of information said Awoonor's son was injured and is responding to treatment. 

Awoonor's work drew its inspiration from the traditions of his native Ewe tribe. Ghana's poetry foundation said on its website that Awoonor went into exile after Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, was driven out in a coup in 1966.




He studied at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his dissertation was published in 1975. He returned to Ghana and was later jailed for alleged involvement coup plot. His time in prison was recounted in The House by the Sea (1978), the foundation said.


---
INDIA
Three Indians were killed in the attack, including an 8-year-old boy, Paramshu Jain, whose father is manager of a Nairobi branch of an Indian bank.

The child's mother, Mukta Jain, is among four Indians who were injured. 

The others confirmed dead by the Indian External Affairs Ministry are Sridhar Natarajan, a 40-year-old from India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, and Sudharshan B.
Nagaraj, of the southern city of Bangalore.
---
KENYA
Ruhila Adatia-Sood was a popular radio and TV personality in Kenya and her husband worked for the U.S.

Agency for International Development in Nairobi. She was expecting a child. 

Mitul Shah was president of the Bidco United football team in Kenya, Football Kenya spokesman John Kaniuki said. Shah worked for the Bidco cooking oil company and was reportedly attending a promotional cooking event with children at the mall. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew and nephew's fiancee were also among the dead.


---
THE NETHERLANDS
Elif Yavuz was a senior vaccines researcher for the Clinton Health Access Initiative, according to a statement from the Clinton family.
'Elif was brilliant, dedicated, and deeply admired by her colleagues, who will miss her terribly,' the Clintons said. 

She had completed her dissertation research on malaria in eastern Africa and graduated this year from Harvard University's Department of Global Health and Population, the school said.


Yavuz, 33, was Langdon's partner and was expecting their first child in early October.
---
NEW ZEALAND
Andrew McLaren, 34, a New Zealander who managed a factory in Kenya for the avocado oil company Olivado, was wounded in the attack, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.

He was hospitalized in stable condition.
----
PERU
Juan Ortiz-Iruri was a retired tropical disease specialist for UNICEF who had lived for 25 years in Africa, according to UNICEF and Peruvian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alejandro Neyra.



His son, Ricardo Ortiz, told Radio RPP that Ortiz-Iruri entered the mall accompanied by his daughter, a 13-year-old born in the U.S. She suffered a hand injury, but is out of danger.
---
SOUTH AFRICA
One South African citizen was killed, according to the country's International Relations Department.


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SOUTH KOREA
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said one South Korean woman was among the dead. It provided no further details.


---
SWITZERLAND
One Swiss citizen was injured, but the embassy would not provide further the victim's name.
---
UNITED STATES
Five American citizens were injured, U.S.

officials said.



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