Tuesday’s attack happened just a mile from Westgate. After the Westgate attack, security was ramped up all around Nairobi. At malls and restaurants, Nairobians now have their cars checked by guards and must go through metal detectors at entrances. The checks often seem perfunctory, however, and Tuesday’s attack will raise questions about how attackers could penetrate one of the city’s most closely guarded compounds.<doc-sep>A Briton and an American were among at least 21 people killed in the militant attack on a hotel and office complex in Nairobi on Tuesday, officials and relatives have said. The Briton was named by his employer, the charity Gatsby Africa, as Luke Potter, its Africa programmes director. In a statement, it said he had devoted the past 10 years to helping some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. “Luke was respected by all he worked with, bringing huge drive, determination, a relentless work ethic, and a thirst for new ideas to every project,” the statement said. “He brought a calm head and his unique sense of humour to every situation … He was our colleague and our friend.” The charity said it shared the grief of his family, partner, daughter and friends. Nic Hailey, the British high commissioner in Nairobi, said authorities were providing support to his family and friends. Luke Potter, who died during the attack in Nairobi. Photograph: Gatsby Africa Another British person was wounded and was receiving medical attention, the Foreign Office said. Jason Spindler, the American who died, was the director of a business development firm who was based in the Kenyan capital, and had survived the September 11 attacks in New York. “It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that my brother, Jason Spindler, passed away this morning during a terror attack in Nairobi,” his brother Jonathan wrote on Facebook. “Jason was a survivor of 9/11 and a fighter. I am sure he gave them hell.” Eleven Kenyans were confirmed dead, a mortuary official told Agence France-Presse. One victim had no papers, the official added. The London-based consultancy firm Adam Smith International said two of its employees had died on the terrace of a restaurant in the complex, where the company has offices. Abdalla Dahir and Feisal Ahmed, Kenyans of Somali descent, had been working on the Somalia Stability Fund managed by ASI to “bring peace and prosperity to Somalia”, the company said. Fifty staff and consultants were safely evacuated, it added. Another victim was named as James Oduor, commonly known as Cobra. Oduor, known for his love of football, was tweeting as the attack was going on, asking people outside the complex what was going on. “What’s happening at 14 Riverside man? We’re trapped in our buildings.” he said in one message. He worked for an electrical company in the building. Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, said early on Wednesday that security forces had ended operations at the dusitD2 hotel, having killed all four attackers. A member of the British SAS took part in the mission to end the assault, photos from the scene showed. The heavily armed man with a military vest and balaclava worked with local forces and helping victims leave the complex. It was reported the lone SAS member took part in the operation alongside US Navy seals, having been in the country to train Kenyan special forces. The MoD said it did not comment on special forces. An SAS member helps escort an injured man from the scene of Tuesday’s attack. Photograph: Dai Kurokawa/EPA Families who went to the Chiromo morgue were told they could not view the bodies until a forensic investigation had been performed, provoking grief and anger. The family of a missing 35-year-old man collapsed in the courtyard upon hearing that a body had arrived with his identification papers. “He is gone, he is gone,” the father repeated into his phone as his mother wrapped a shawl around herself and wept. A woman who gave her name as Njoki wept as she said: “My sister is not in any of the hospitals and the last time we spoke she was a bit calm but suddenly she started crying and shouting and I could hear gunshots and her phone remained on but she wasn’t speaking. We have no doubt her body is here. Let them allow us in.” As other families pleaded to be allowed access, an elderly couple arrived in silence, bringing a freshly pressed suit to dress their dead son. Hiram Macharia, a marketing executive at LG Electronics, said he and some colleagues had been rescued by police from their office two hours after the attack began, but that one workmate did not survive. “One of our colleagues went to the top of the building and his body was found there,” Macharia said outside the hotel. Kenyatta said more than 700 civilians were safely evacuated from the complex. The assault began shortly after 3pm on Tuesday with an explosion in the parking lot and then a suicide bomb blast in the hotel’s foyer. It was claimed by al-Shabaab, the militant Islamist organisation based in neighbouring Somalia that carried out the 2013 attack on Nairobi’s Westgate mall that left at least 67 dead. A woman rescued from the hair salon she manages in the dusitD2 complex on Tuesday also survived the Westgate attack, local media reported. “I was working there when the attackers stormed in, it was not easy just like today. All I can say is that I thank God,” Tracy Wanjiru told Nairobi News. Wanjiru said she heard a loud explosion on Tuesday and went out to see what was happening. “I jumped back to the salon, told my colleagues we were under attack. They dismissed me at first but when they heard wails and screams, everyone went into hiding,” she said.<doc-sep>At least 14 people have died in an apparent terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya. The al-Shabaab Islamist group claimed its fighters were responsible for explosions and gunfire at the DusitD2 hotel complex on Tuesday. Police said the attack had begun with an explosion in the hotel car park and a suicide bombing in the foyer leaving a number of guests with severe injuries. Kenya's interior minister said shortly before 11pm local time that all buildings affected by the attack had been cleared by security forces. Police chiefs first suspected a robbery at the hotel in the capital’s Westlands neighbourhood, commander Philip Ndolo said, before a spokesman admitted the force could not rule out a terror attack. Officers later blew up a car they believed contained explosives and several other vehicles were feared to pose a danger. Armed, plainsclothes security service members were also seen at the site. Kenya police chief Joseph Boinnet said that the incident was a suspected militant attack. “A group of unknown armed assailants attacked the Dusit complex in what we suspect could be a terror attack,” he told reporters at a briefing at about 6pm local time. Witnesses described hearing gunshots and seeing people in the hotel and office complex “running away raising their hands up and ... entering the bank to hide for their lives” during the assault about 4pm local time. One said he had seen attackers wearing green clothes and carriying ammunition. “We are under attack,” a person in an office inside a complex in the DusitD2 hotel told the Reuters news agency amid the early chaos, before hanging up as thick black smoke billowed from the site where several vehicles were set ablaze. “What I have seen is terrible. I have seen a human as I ran out and there is what looks like minced meat all over,” said one man who claimed he had been caught up in the suspected attack. Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Show all 23 1 /23 Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Cars are seen on fire at the scene where explosions and gunshots were heard at the Dusit hotel compound, in Nairobi, Kenya Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures An injured man is evacuated from the scene of an explosion at a hotel complex in Nairobi's Westlands suburb AFP/Getty Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures A soldier takes cover next to a bullet ridden window EPA Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures People run for cover during gunfire and explosions in Nairobi EPA Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Kenyan security forces take position following an explosion at a hotel complex in Nairobi's Westlands suburb AFP/Getty Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Security forces on the scene of an explosion in Nairobi AP Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Cars burn at the scene of an explosion in Nairobi AP Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures People are led away from the scene of an explosion at a hotel complex in Nairobi AFP/Getty Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures A soldier takes cover as gunfire continues at the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi EPA Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Armed plain clothes officials secure the damaged entrance of a hotel during ongoing gunfire and explosions in Nairobi EPA Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Members of security forces take cover at the scene Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures People are evacuated from the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Cars burn after an explosion in Nairobi AP Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures A member of security forces holds a weapon at the scene Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Security forces advance at the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Cars burn at the scene of an explosion in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures A glass damaged by bullets at the scene Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Security personnel on the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures A woman is helped at the scene of an explosion in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Security forces advance at the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Security personnel on the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi Reuters Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Undercover police are on the scene of a blast in Nairobi AP Nairobi hotel attack – in pictures Security personnel on the scene of a suspected terror attack in Nairobi AP Local television reports described a confusing scene with paramedics having to wind their way through the area to reach the wounded. Soldiers were later seen marshalling crowds and reporters at the complex in Riverside Drive. The Somali militant group al-Shabaab claimed via its radio arm, Andalus, that it was “behind the attack”, but did not give details. In 2013, al-Shabab extremists killed dozens of people during a days-long siege at Nairobi’s Westgate shopping centre, which is just over a mile away from the DusitD2 hotel. A total of 67 people died in that attack. Kenyan troops were among the African Union alliance forces that drove al-Shabaab out of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, in 2011. The group, thought to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters, has been affiliated with al-Qaeda since 2012 and subscribes to the ultra-conservative Wahhabi Islamic creed. Tuesday’s apparent attack took place three years to the day after al-Shabaab attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia, killing scores of people. The group objects to the presence of Kenyan troops in the turbulent Horn of Africa nation. Additional reporting by agencies<doc-sep>Explosions and gunfire ripped through a business complex in Nairobi on Tuesday (Jan. 15), in an attack claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab. Police confirmed the assault happened after 3 pm local time in 14 Riverside, which houses offices, retail outlets, and restaurants along with the upscale DusitD2 hotel. The coordinated attack first started at the I&M Bank, followed by an explosion that targeted three vehicles in the parking lot, trailed by a suicide explosion in the foyer of Dusit hotel where a number of guests suffered injuries. The inspector general of police Joseph Boinnet confirmed there were injuries but didn’t confirm any casualties. Media reports put the number of dead at between five and 14 people. Several wounded victims were also removed from the premises with emergency services including the Kenya Red Cross arriving at the scene to provide first aid. One person inside the complex who texted Quartz Africa said they had locked the doors to their offices and “barricaded” themselves with two colleagues in the boardroom. They also said they didn’t know what was going on and how or if they will be evacuated. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Members of security forces at the scene of the attack. The upscale area in the west of Nairobi is home to several embassies, banks, and offices spaces, with the Australian high commission located just down the road. A University of Nairobi dormitory is also next door; students were evacuated as security officials arrived in the scene. As panic spread throughout the capital, the Village Market mall almost 5 miles (7 kilometers) away near the US embassy in Gigiri announced it was closing as a “security precaution.” Initially, there was confusion between whether the attack was a robbery or a suspected terrorist attack. Kenya has previously been the target of several deadly attacks carried out by the Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab. The group is considered one of the deadliest terror outfits on the continent. In 2013, gunmen stormed the Westgate shopping mall tossing hand grenades and spraying shoppers with bullets leading to the death of 67 people. 148 people were also killed at the Garissa University College in Kenya’s northeast region in mid-2015. The attack also happened on the eve of a verdict in the trial of three men accused of orchestrating the attack on Westgate. Officials said supporters of al-Shabaab took to social media to praise the attacks; reports showed they were sharing celebratory notes on the encrypted messaging service Telegram. Cautioning the public from retweeting or sharing them, Boinnet said “sympathizers of these criminals have taken to the internet using old and quite disturbing images all of which have nothing to do with today’s incident in an attempt to spread needless fear and despondency among members of the public.” REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Cars are seen on fire at the scene. Uncertainty continues to loom over the rescue process, as reports surfaced that hostages were being held in the building. Al-Shabaab has previously held people captive during attacks, holding Christians and freeing Muslims during the attack on Garissa university. Security officers took almost seven hours to secure the building, announcing after 11 pm local time that they had cleared the compound and evacuated scores of people from various nationalities. “We are now in the final stages of mopping up the area and securing evidence and documenting the consequences of these unfortunate events,” interior secretary Fred Matiang’i said. *This story will be updated as more information is confirmed Sign up to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief here for news and analysis on African business, tech and innovation in your inbox<doc-sep>
'Is everything I'm trying to do pointless? ': Syrians helpless in face of 'sham' election Brother of journalist detained in Myanmar says family is hopeful Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs Residents stand near stalls along a road amidst debris while strong winds batter Balasore district in Odisha state on May 26, 2021 as Cyclone Yaas barrels towards India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images) France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame speak as they walk in the grounds of The Presidential Palace in Kigali on May 27, 2021, after their press conference and prior to their official luncheon. - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Rwanda on May 27, 2021, for a highly symbolic visit aimed at moving on from three decades of diplomatic tensions over France's role in the 1994 genocide in the country. Macron is the first French leader since 2010 to visit the East African nation, which has long accused France of complicity in the killing of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi Rwandans. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images) Relative of detained Iranian-Americans fears they will not survive An injured man is evacuated from the scene of an explosion at a hotel complex in Nairobi's Westlands suburb on January 15, 2019, in Kenya. - A gunfight was underway following the blast in the leafy Nairobi neighbourhood, an AFP reporter and a witness said. It was not immediately clear whether the incident was a robbery or an attack. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP) (Photo credit should read SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — An evacuation of a hotel complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi is still ongoing, hours after suspected Islamist extremists launched an attack killing at least 11 people, including a US citizen. Tuesday’s coordinated assault by armed gunmen on the Dusit D2 compound, an upmarket cluster of shops and hotel facilities, represents the most high-profile terror attack in the East African country in several years. Authorities reported that “scores” of Kenyans and foreign nationals had been evacuated from the compound, and that the site had been secured, but sporadic gunfire continued to be heard hours after the all-clear had been given. A source at the hotel assisting with security called the death toll “conservative” and expected it to rise. “I saw six dead on the footpath exit over the river and five more at the secret garden cafe,” said the source. The US state department confirmed a US citizen was killed in the attack, but provided no further details. Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images A woman is escorted from the Riverside Drive complex in Nairobi. Responsibility for the assault, described by police as a “suspected terror attack,” has been claimed by Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. Across the capital Wednesday, friends and family of those believed to have been inside the compound during the attack waited nervously to be reunited with their loved ones. The Red Cross has asked families to call into its dedicated tracing hotline for help. Police asked that residents refrain from sharing unconfirmed news, or images of the ongoing security operation on social media, cautioning about misinformation circulating online. Before the evacuation, an explosion and gunfire from inside the hotel was heard by an eyewitness near the complex. The latest attack began at a bank inside the compound Tuesday afternoon. An explosion ripped through three vehicles in the parking lot, followed by a suicide blast in the foyer of the Dusit Hotel, said Boinnet, the nation’s police chief. Attack started with car bombs Heavy gunfire and an explosion sent people running for their lives. Footage from the scene showed armed officers escorting office workers and injured people to safety as the sound of shots rang out. Cars in the compound could be seen aflame as a helicopter flew overhead. Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images Security forces responding to the scene. Kenyan anti-terror units, other law enforcement agencies and ambulances rushed to the scene on Riverside Drive in Nairobi’s Westlands affluent neighborhood as people with bloodied clothes could be seen fleeing the complex. Nearby, students from the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo campus were evacuated onto the street. “As we were leaving, there were gunshots all over the place,” said Evans Ng’ong’a, who was also inside the complex.