Westgate Mall Attack (2013)
The Westgate Mall attack, which occurred in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 21, 2013, was a tragic incident involving mass murder perpetrated by four members of the militant group al-Shabaab, affiliated with al-Qaeda. The attack targeted a popular shopping center, where the assailants opened fire and threw grenades, leading to the deaths of at least 67 people and injuring over 175 others. The siege lasted for approximately 80 hours and was characterized by chaotic scenes as shoppers attempted to flee or hide from the attackers, who did not take hostages but fired indiscriminately.
Kenyan police and military forces entered the mall roughly an hour after the assault began, leading to a prolonged standoff marked by gunfire and explosions. Amidst criticism of the command structure and response of the Kenyan security forces, the siege concluded on September 24, with the government announcing that all attackers had been killed. However, controversies arose regarding the operational effectiveness of the security response and the handling of information about the attackers, whose bodies were never recovered. The incident intensified public distrust in the Kenyan government, particularly given prior intelligence warnings about possible threats to the mall. The Westgate Mall reopened in July 2015, nearly two years after the attack, signifying a gradual return to normalcy despite the scars left on the community.
Westgate Mall Attack (2013)
The 2013 Westgate Mall attack was an incident of mass murder perpetrated by four members of the group al-Shabaab, a Somali affiliate of the global militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda, that occurred at a shopping center in Nairobi, Kenya. The militants opened fire and threw grenades, killing unarmed men, women, and children. The attack lasted eighty hours and resulted in at least 67 deaths and over 175 wounded. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that it was revenge for Kenya's military action in Somalia.
The Kenyan police force, Defence Forces, and equivalent of a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team entered the mall about an hour after the initial explosions and gunfire and began their counterattack operations. After a four-day standoff, Kenyan authorities deemed the mall secure. Following the attack, authorities stated that the four gunmen were killed. There were several controversies in the aftermath of the attack concerning how the Kenyan police, army, and intelligence service handled the attack.
Date: In the early afternoon of September 21, 2013, al-Shabaab militants began storming the Westgate Mall and attacking and killing unarmed shoppers.
Place: Nairobi, Kenya
Key Events
- September 21, 2013-Militants from al-Shabaab begin their siege of the mall. Roughly three hours into the attack, Kenyan police and armed forces enter the mall. At least fifty-nine people are killed on the first day of the siege.
- September 23, 2013-The rooftop parking garage of the mall and the two floors below collapse.
- September 24, 2013-Explosions and gunfire continue inside the mall. At ten o'clock that night, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta announces that the attack is over and the gunmen are dead.
Status
As of November 2015, it was still unclear whether the four perpetrators of the attack had been killed or had escaped from the mall alive. No forensic evidence of them was recovered from the rubble. Investigations conducted by various organizations came to different conclusions on this matter, but in 2014, Kenyan authorities and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had announced their belief that the attackers had died during the siege. In March 2015, it was reported that a US drone strike in Somalia had killed Adan Garar, a leader of al-Shabaab and the man believed to be the mastermind of the attack. The Westgate Mall reopened in July 2015, nearly two years after the attack.
In-Depth Overview
Al-Shabaab is a Somali-based affiliate of the global militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda. In 2011, a joint task force of the Somali and Kenyan military launched Operation Linda Nchi, with the goal of taking down al-Shabaab terrorists who had kidnapped foreign tourists and aid workers inside Kenya. Following the operation, al-Shabaab vowed to carry out a massive attack in Nairobi.
On the afternoon of September 21, 2013, masked members of al-Shabaab began their attack on the mall. The number of assailants was initially reported to be ten and fifteen, but later brought down to as few as four. The militants began their siege by throwing grenades around the mall. Then they opened fire with assault rifles on innocent men, women, and children as they fled for safety. Many were able to flee the mall while hundreds of others hid in the various stores. Survivors stated that the attackers did not take hostages and instead fired indiscriminately on anyone they saw.
Before authorities entered the mall, armed volunteers from a nearby neighborhood arrived and split into groups to help rescue people trapped inside. Kenya's Recce Squad, the country's equivalent of a SWAT team, arrived along with the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) and police. A power struggle ensued behind the scenes of the rescue operation between Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo and the head of KDF, Julius Karangi. The two men allegedly argued over whose forces would take the lead in the rescue. The Recce Squad moved in first, followed by the KDF. Due to lack of communication between the groups, a KDF unit fired on a group of Recce commandos, killing their commander.
The standoff between Kenyan forces and the al-Shabaab militants lasted for eighty hours. During this time, gunfire was exchanged and several explosions occurred. The rooftop car park collapsed into the floors beneath it, leaving behind a massive crater. At ten o'clock on the night of September 24, 2014, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta declared that the siege was over and the attackers had been killed. The number of dead was announced at roughly 67, with 175 wounded and several missing.
Shop owners returned to the mall to find their stores looted and damaged. Many believed that it was Kenyan soldiers who did the looting and the public began to lose trust in authorities. Closed-circuit television footage later showed Kenyan soldiers exiting the mall with shopping bags. Government spokespersons released conflicting and contradictory information, such as regarding the number of people missing and the number and nationality of the gunmen. The government never released an official account of the attack and the bodies of the four gunmen were never recovered. It remains unclear whether they escaped or were killed.
Shortly after the attack, documents from an intelligence briefing suggested that Kenya's National Information Service had warned security officials of the threat of such an attack in January 2013. The documents establish that al-Shabaab was singling out Westgate Mall or a Roman Catholic cathedral in Nairobi. These documents, along with the unorganized response from armed forces and looting, further increased distrust of the Kenyan government following the attack.
Key Figures
Adan Garar: Al-Shabaab member who allegedly masterminded the attack. He was reported killed following a drone strike on March 12, 2015.
Julius Karangi: Head of KDF at the time of the attack.
Uhuru Kenyatta: President of Kenya at the time of the attack.
David Kimaiyo: Inspector general of Kenyan police at the time of the attack.
Bibliography
Gathara, P. (2014, September 21). Mysteries linger over Westgate Mall attack. Al Jazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/09/mysteries-linger-over-westgate--201492171737803205.html
Howden, D. (2013, October 4). Terror in Westgate Mall: The full story of the attacks that devastated Kenya. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/westgate-mall-attacks-kenya
Kenya mall attack: Somalia's al-Shabaab group claims responsibility. (2013, September 21). The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/21/kenya-mall-attack-al-shabaab
Kriel, R. (2015, July 19). Kenya's Westgate Mall reopens, nearly two years after bloody terror attack. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/africa/kenya-westgate-mall-reopens/
Vogt, H., Bariyo, N., & Gorman, S. (2013, September 24). Siege at Nairobi mall ends after four days. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304213904579094533337311204