Retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia

Kenyan authorities prepared for the gruesome task of recovering dozens more victims than initially feared after the president declared an end to the four-day siege of a Nairobi shopping mall by al Qaida-linked terrorists. Officials said the death count could soar by another 60 or more. Uhuru Kenyatta said five militants had been shot dead by troops and 11 suspects were in custody. He also confirmed that intelligence reports had been received suggesting that a British woman and "two or three" US nationals had been involved in the attack. "We cannot confirm the details at present but forensic experts are working to ascertain the nationalities of the terrorists," he said in a televised address. The Kenyan president said 61 civilians and six members of the security forces had died, while 62 of the 175 people injured remained in hospital. Three days of national mourning have been declared, starting on Wednesday. The Somali Islamist al-Shabab movement said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia. Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has said that those behind the attacks "must be held accountable." Meanwhile, Kenya's foreign minister said "two or three" Americans and a British woman were among the attackers.