Nairobi: Fresh rounds of gunfire, explosion heard at the Westgate Mall

Nairobi, Sept 23: The Kenyan Army on Monday afternoon launched the final assault on the militants that were holed up in the Westgate Mall in an attempt to rescue the hostages that were trapped in the mall.

According to reports , a fresh round of gun fire and explosion were exchanged between the Kenyan Army and a group of armed gunmen in the Westgate Mall earlier during the day.

According to a AFP photographer, who was present at the scene, he heard a fierce round of gunfire for 15 minutes, which later on subsided. The photographer said that troops, who surrounded the mall, were ducking for cover.

According to troops, most of the hostages have been rescued from the mall, but still ten hostages are still inside with the gunmen, who were being used as human sheilds. The attack has entered the third day and has claimed 69 lives so far and injuring hundreds.

Death toll reaches 69, 170 injured

Security forces confirmed that an assault against Somali al-Sabab militant gunman was underway. The terrorists holed up inside the mall, have threatened to kill the remaining hostages, reports suggest.

As of now, no reports and details have been released by the Kenyan authorities.The army has admitted that the fate of the hostages inside the mall is unknown.

OneIndia News