Africa
Troops have moved in to clear the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, from where Mike Wooldridge reports
Kenya's
investigation into a bloody siege by Islamist militants in Nairobi has
been joined by experts from the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Interpol.
Forensic experts are combing the Westgate shopping complex for DNA and ballistic clues, Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said.He confirmed that five militants were dead and said the bodies of more terrorists were expected to be found.
Funerals are continuing to be held for the 67 civilian and military victims.
New footage from inside Westgate shows a family being rescued
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Zachary Yach, survivorI never realised how loud a gun was and how scary and threatening they are”
He said he did not expect the death toll to rise significantly.
Several bodies are thought to be trapped under rubble after
three floors of the building collapsed. Mr Lenku said he only expected
bodies of terrorists to be found.Work is continuing to establish their identities, including whether one was a woman, he added.
"In our previous briefings we indicated that there was no indication to suggest that there is a woman terrorist but going forward we are all hearing possibilities and information.
"We want to again request you to allow the forensic experts to determine whether that is true."
Mr Lenku said he was unable to confirm whether there were any Britons or Americans involved, but said that 10 people were being held in connection with the attack.
Counter-claims Flags flew at half mast across Kenya on Wednesday, as three days of national mourning began.
Relatives have been identifying the bodies of those killed in the attack
Alyaz Merali, wounded in the attack, took part in a funeral procession for his mother, who was killed
Traders were selling wreaths outside Nairobi's City Mortuary
Nuns prayed near the Westgate shopping centre on Wednesday morning
The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers and staff.
Twitter posts on an al-Shabab account said the group's militants had held 137 people hostage, and claimed the hostages had died after security forces fired chemical agents to end the siege.
The posts could not be verified. A government spokesman denied any chemical agents were used, and authorities called on Kenyans to ignore militant propaganda.
Both sides blamed the other for causing part of the shopping centre to collapse.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia as part of an African Union force supporting Somali government forces.
Al-Shabab is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
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