Kenya Attack: Britons Among At Least 59 Dead

Up to 15 terrorists remain inside a Kenyan shopping centre after an attack left dozens of people dead, including at least three Britons.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said 59 people are known to have been killed when the gang burst into the upmarket Westgate mall in the capital Nairobi armed with guns and grenades.

There were unconfirmed reports that women as well as men were involved in the attack, he said.

Some of those killed were executed after failing to recite a Muslim prayer at gunpoint. Others were shot at the entrance to the mall as they tried to escape.

A Foreign Office spokesman said three Britons were among those killed and warned the number is likely to rise.

Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the "despicable attack", saying it was an act of "appalling brutality".

"Because the situation is ongoing, we should prepare ourselves for further bad news," he added.

More than 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the shopping centre but an unknown number remain inside.

Security forces have taken control of the upper and lower levels of the building, but an army spokesman told Sky News they were yet to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.

Other reports suggested the attackers are holed up in a toilet block next to a supermarket on the ground floor of the complex.

Witnesses reported hearing fierce gunfire and explosions on Sunday morning, as police and the military tried to reach the remaining hostages.

Military helicopters have also been seen swooping low around the area as sporadic volleys of gunfire continue to rattle the through the shopping centre.

The shopping centre in western Nairobi is popular with expatriates and wealthy Kenyans.

Two Canadians have been confirmed dead in the attack, while two French citizens are understood to be among those killed.

The Somalia-based Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks.

President Kenyatta said one of his nephews and his fiancee were among the 59 people confirmed killed.

"They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts," the President said in an emotional speech to the nation. "We will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully."

Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi caught up in the attack, said the attackers released people able to prove they were Muslim.

"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.

"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don’t understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."

Tales of survival are continuing to emerge as the siege continues.

Nahashon Mwangi said he was at work when he received a desperate telephone call from his son from inside the centre.

"Dad, I have been shot in the neck and hand. I am bleeding. Come and help me please," his son told him.

When he called later, his son, who survived the attack, replied: "Don't call me again. I just want you to get me out of here. If they hear me talking, they are going to kill me."

:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.