Random gunfire and explosives have caused chaos at a luxury hotel in Kenya.
A group of gunmen attacked the DusitD2 hotel in the Dusit Complex, near the 14 Riverside complex in Nairobi, the capital city. The complex is like what shopping centers are in the United States, home to financial institutions, retail stores, and restaurants. The attacks started yesterday, but unfortunately, they are still happening.
“We regret to confirm that at approximately 3 p.m. today, a group of armed assailants attacked the Dusit Complex in a suspected terror attack,” Kenya’s Inspector General Joseph Boinnet said. “Security and emergency teams immediately responded to the incident and have cordoned off the area.” Boinnet said officials are treating this incident as a terror attack. “The situation is being managed, and residents are being screened and evacuated from the area. We are aware that armed criminals are holding up in the hotel and special forces are now currently flushing them out,” Boinnet continued. “However, we regret to inform that there have been injuries in the attack and we are in the process of confirming the numbers and types of injuries incurred.”
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Residents who work there recall what happened when the attacks started. Grace King’ori said her sister Janice, who works at an advertising agency at the complex, called her to let her know what was going on. Janice warned Grace not to come to the complex, but sitting at home wasn’t an option. King’ori said she could hear all the gunshots in the background and was worried, but Janice was able to call back about an hour later letting her know that she was safe.
While several cars were seen on fire and others were seen running to safety, it’s been reported that the Somali militant group al-Shabaab is claiming full responsibility, a group known for terrorist attacks. It was coincidental that the group attacked on January 14. Three years ago, al-Shabaab militants attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia on the same day. Al-Shabaab militants also attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, killing 67 innocent people died, back in 2013.