Samantha Lewthwaite (left and right), widow of 7/7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, wanted on terror charges
New information has emerged on the the alleged lead terrorist of Nairobi's Westgate mall identified as The White Widow.
The new information comes on the heels of the fire and explosions in the mall this morning, started by the terrorists to distract the ongoing operation of soldiers and security officials trying to take control of the Westgate mall.
Unconfirmed reports have it that a dead white woman has been found among Islamic terrorists killed by soldiers as they stormed the mall where 62 shoppers were slaughtered this weekend, Kenyan officials said.
The claim, made by three sources to news agency Reuters, has fueled speculation that the dead woman is Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of 7/7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, who is wanted by Kenyan police on a string of terror charges. Police will also investigate the possibility that she is a hostage dressed in one of the terrorist's clothes.
Asked if it was Lewthwaite, dubbed the 'White Widow' that was found dead, an intelligence officer said: 'We don't know.'
Moments after the news broke, Al Shabaab, the Al Qaeda affiliated terror group behind the massacre at Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Centre, used their Twitter feed to claim that Lewthwaite was safe.
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| Evil white widow: 29 year old Samantha Lewthwaite, dubbed the 'White Widow' is the world's most wanted woman |
THE 'WHITE WIDOW' OF A COLD BLOODED KILLER(Profile)
Samantha Lewthwaite converted to Islam as a young woman and married a man who went on to be a 7/7 London suicide bomber. She has become a key figure in the terror group behind this weekend’s attack.
Lewthwaite has even been involved in training a group of all-female suicide attackers at camps in lawless neighbouring the 29-year-old, who grew up as a normal teenager in Aylesbury before meeting Jermaine Lindsay, a British Muslim, in an online chat room when she was 17. The pair married three years later.
When her husband was named as one of four suicide bombers who blew up Tube trains and a bus in 2005, killing 52 people, Lewthwaite initially condemned her late husband’s attack and denied any knowledge of his plan. This was a lie.
More than eight years later, Lewthwaite is one of Al Qaeda’s main recruiters in East Africa and is an official spokesman for Al Shabaab (The People), the terrorist group behind the horror in Nairobi.
The so-called ‘White Widow’, who is the world’s most wanted woman, has been on the run in East Africa after police foiled a Christmas bomb plot against Western tourists in the coastal resort of Mombasa in 2011.
Lewthwaite, 29, was married to Jermaine Lindsay, the suicide bomber who blew up a Tube train at King?s Cross in 2005
The official Kenyan police Twitter feed reported that more than 200 civilians had been rescued as troops took control of all the floors of the mall.
'Fire started in the building by the terrorists to distract the ongoing operation is being managed by fire fighters from different agencies.'
Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku also revised the death toll to 62. He said that 62 civilians have now been confirmed dead while 65 people were receiving treatment in hospital. It claims almost all hostages have been freed and that it is in 'control of the situation'.
The chief of the Kenyan defence forces, General Julius Karangi, said the Islamist militants who carried out the attack - thought to number around 10 to 15 - included fighters from various countries.
'We have an idea who these people are and they are clearly a multinational collection from all over the world,' he said.
The Westgate Shopping Centre is on fire and a fierce gun battle is underway as Kenyan special forces try to end the three day siege that has killed at least 62 people
Kenyan special forces claim they are on the way to resolving the crises.
Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said: 'We think the operation will come to an end soon', he said. 'We are in control of all the floors, the terrorists are running and hiding in some stores... there is no room for escape'.
At least 175 were injured, including children.
There are fears the death toll will rise as security forces search the upmarket shopping complex.
Earlier , as Kenyan soldiers and more armoured personnel carriers descended on the mall, a spokesman for terror group Al Shabaab Ali Mohamud Rage said in a statement posted on an Islamist website that those held inside will 'bear the brunt of any force' used by soldiers against the militants.
The statement read:
'We authorise the mujahedeen inside the building to take actions against the prisoners as much as they are pressed.
'We are telling Christians advancing onto the mujahedeen to have mercy for their prisoners who will bear the brunt of any force directed against the mujahedeen.'
Meanwhile, a Twitter account claiming to represent Al Shabaab yesterday claimed that terrorists from seven nations are involved in the attack, including the U.S., Britain and Canada.
The HSM Press Office account, which has been suspended twice, claimed the group were Ahmed Nasir Shirdoon, 24, from London, UK; Gen Mustafe Noorduiin, 27, from Kansas City, U.S., Abdifatah Osman Keenadiid, 24, from Minneapolis, U.S., and Ahmed Mohamad Isse, 22, from Saint Paul, U.S; Ismael Guled, 23, from Finland; Abdirizak Mouled, 24, from Ontario, Canada; and Zaki Jama Caraale, 20, and Sayid Nuh, 25, both from Somalia.
62 DEAD AND 175 INJURED FROM 14 NATIONS: DETAILS OF KENYA TERRORIST ATTACK VICTIMS BEGIN TO EMERGE
KENYA
President Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew Mbugua Mwangi and his nephew's fiancee Rosemary Wahito were killed.
Radio and TV personality Ruhila Adatia-Sood, was also killed after hosting a cookery competition at the mall.
Reports said she was recently married and six months pregnant.
GHANA
Kofi Awoonor, a Ghanaian poet, professor and former ambassador to Brazil, Cuba and the United Nations, died after being wounded in the attack, Ghana's presidential office confirmed.
Ghana's ministry of information said Awoonor's son was injured and is responding to treatment.
CANADA
Two Canadians, including a diplomat, died in the attack, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He paid tribute to the victims and noted the loss of diplomat Annemarie Desloges, who served in Canada's High Commission to Kenya as a liaison officer with the Canada Border Services Agency.
Her spouse Robert Munk was wounded in the attack, but has since been released from the hospital, the Canadian Press reported.
INDIA
Two Indians, 8-year-old Parmashu Jain and 40-year-old Sridhar Natarajan, were killed, and four others were wounded in the attack.
BRITAIN
The Foreign Office have confirmed that four UK nationals have been killed in the attack.
Prize-winning architect Ross Langdon, who had dual British and Australian citizenship, is believed to be one of the dead.
A British man, who refused to give his name, said his wife and daughter were both killed in the atrocity.
The Foreign Office warned the number of British dead is 'likely to rise as further information becomes available.'
FRANCE
Two French women were killed, President Francois Hollande said.
SOUTH AFRICA
One South African citizen was killed, according to the country's International Relations Department.
THE NETHERLANDS
A 33-year-old Dutch woman died in the attack, believed to be Elif Yavuz, the heavily pregnant partner of British architect Mr Langdon.
Seven other Dutch citizens who were in the mall escaped unharmed, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said.
CHINA
A 38-year-old Chinese woman with the surname Zhou who worked in the real estate industry was killed in the attack, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. Her son was injured in the attack and was in stable condition in a hospital, according to the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.
PERU
A retired staff member of UNICEF from Peru was killed, the agency's regional office for Eastern and Southern Africa said.
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine confirmed today that Dr Juan Jesus Ortiz-Iruri, 63, who had worked in Britain, was among the dead.
Colleague Professor Nynke van den Broek said: 'He had dedicated his professional life to improving health systems in Africa and Asia, particularly in the area of maternal, child and new-born health. Juan had worked with us on a range of maternal and new-born health programmes for some time from his base in Nairobi and we were all looking forward to welcoming him as a full time member of staff in Liverpool later this week. His loss will be felt by us all both professionally and personally.'
U.S.
Five American citizens were injured, U.S. officials said.
NEW ZEALAND
Andrew McLaren, 34, a New Zealander who managed a factory in Kenya for the avocado oil company Olivado, was wounded in the attack, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed. He was hospitalised in stable condition.
SWITZERLAND
The Swiss government confirmed that one of its citizens was injured in the attack. It said its embassy in Nairobi is in contact with the victim's family and local officials, but would not provide further detail on the victim's name.
WHO ARE AL SHABAAB? (Profile)
Al Shabaab - which means 'The Youth' in Arabic - was formed in Somalia in 2006 as an offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts.
Experts say it has up to 9,000 fighters, including foreigners.
In 2010, the group carried out a double bombing in Uganda, targeting people watching the football World Cup final.
A total of 77 people were killed.
The group formally ran large parts of Somalia's south but has been pushed back by the African Union force in the past couple of years, in which Kenyan troops played a large part.
Al Shabaab, which is banned in the UK and the U.S., was forced out of Somalia's capital of
Mogadishu in 2011.
I'm more than gobsmacked to learn more about the activities of this white widow, and cant help but imagine how she will brainwash her 4 children as they grow(ages yet unknown), grooming them to be terrorists, like their parents.
At 29, her life is supposed to only just have begun, yet this unrepentant, cold blooded murderer seems to be so consumed by hate that she spends time grooming other 'female suicide bombers'...just sad.
I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw 'female suicide bombers', but then again, I would never have believed a 29 year old mother of four would be a lead terrorist.
Indeed, these are end times.
Please say a prayer for the departed, wounded, and remaining hostages. Credits
Please say a prayer for the departed, wounded, and remaining hostages. Credits
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