Kenyan police responding to Nairobi attacks, Al-Shabaab claims responsibility

Two explosions and gunfire were heard at an upscale hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital on Tuesday afternoon, said a woman working in a neighbouring building.

“We are under attack,” another person in an office inside a complex in the Dusit hotel told Reuters, then hung up. Local television showed smoke rising from the area.

The Nairobi police commander Philip Ndolo said they had cordoned off the area around Riverside Drive due to a suspected robbery.

Al-Shabaab claims responsibility – Al Jazeera

A Somali journalist with Al Jazeera says Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the ongoing attacks. Hamza Mohamed tweeted that the group’s spokesperson told the gulf channel: “We are currently conducting an operation in Nairobi.”

UPDATE: Attack comes exactly three years after Al-Shabab fighters overrun a Kenyan army base in Somalia killing dozens of soldiers.#NairobiAttack also comes a day after trial of Westgate suspects started in the Kenyan capital.— Hamza Mohamed (@Hamza_Africa) January 15, 2019

The militant group based in Somalia continues to carry out attacks on Somali and the African Union force in the country (AMISOM).

Al-Shabaab incursions into Kenya

Their incursions across the Kenyan border has been numerous with the two standout attacks being the Westgate Mall attacks and the Garissa University massacre.

The Garissa attack occurred a little in April 2015, 365km northeast of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, and resulted in the loss of 148 lives including 142 students.

Most victims were killed in their dormitories, whiles others were gathered and executed in a hall of residence. According to reports, the entire operation was carried out by four al-Shabab fighters.

The attack was the second bloodiest in Kenya since al-Qaeda bombed the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998, killing 213 people.