Kenya FM says al-Qaeda behind mall attack

The Kenyan foreign minister has told Al Jazeera that al-Qaeda is responsible for the ongoing siege of a mall in Nairobi that has killed at least 62 people.

In an exclusive interview on Monday, Amina Mohamed said al-Shabab was not acting alone and that it was part of an international terrorism campaign.

She told Al Jazeera's James Bays that about 20 gunmen and women were behind the attack, and that both the victims and perpetrators came from a variety of nationalities.



Al-Shabab and al-Qaeda announced their alliance in in February 2012, and Abu Omar, a Somali-a-based al-Shabab commander, confirmed in an interview with Al Jazeerathat his group is taking orders from al-Qaeda.

"Al-Qaeda are our leaders, they are our mentors, they are our leaders …and we are all engaged in a single conflict against an international Christian crusade and so we are partners in this," he said.

Meanwhile, a government spokesperson said that all of the hostages had been evacuated from the shopping mall.

At least three al-Shabab fighters have been killed and ten soldiers wounded in the military operation to end the standoff.

"Our special forces are inside the building checking the rooms. Obviously it's a very, very big building," said government spokesman Manoah Esipisu.

"We think that everyone, the hostages, have been evacuated, but we don't want to take any chances," he said. "The special forces are doing their job and yes, I think we are near the end."

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