Mumbai-style attack in Nairobi

[agricola]

Breaking news over here:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/21/gunmen-kenyan-shopping-centre-nairobi

[Scout26]

And how long until they figure out how to implement those tactics here (or in Britain).

[Cliffh]

And how long until they figure out how to implement those tactics here (or in Britain).

Test run? 

[Jocassee]

More pictures. Horrific.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2427892/Nairobi-mall-Gunmen-massacred-22-Kenyan-shopping-centre-targeted-non-Islamics.html

[Jamisjockey]

Test run? 

Same thing was said after Mumbai.

I'm sure they'd love to.  It's a matter of resources, manpower, and not getting caught.  I talked to someone in the know many years ago and despite all our problems with intelligence, 9/11 was pretty much a hail mary pass for them.

[Ryan in Maine]

59 deaths being reported now.

[Hutch]

So tragic.  I'm no great student, but I can understand how the Mumbai massacre was so horrible, in that (no offense meant to anyone) the Indians I have met all seem to be collectivist to their core, unwilling to assume personal responsibility for their own safety.  The cops were paralyzed and ineffective, and there are virtually no personally owned firearms.

OTOH, I know even less about Kenya, the people and their culture.  All that said, I would imagine they would be less likely to be cowed and murdered like sheep.  Does anyone have any first hand knowledge or insight?

[Viking]

70+ people dead, 200+ wounded.

[Perd Hapley]

I was wondering about Kenya's gun laws, and I came across this, from February instant.

"When I lived in Kenya, gun laws required gun owners to submit to background checks and register their guns, to demonstrate their ability to use the guns, and to provide secure storage for their guns when they were not in use. If any of your guns went missing you could be fined, and, in case of gross negligence, you could lose your right to own a gun.

In the house I rented, the gun safe was set in concrete."

http://trib.com/opinion/columns/give-us-responsible-gun-laws/article_844b4d35-a01e-578d-be4b-b7941a5fd5a4.html


This is interesting, too. It was published a few months ago.

http://tommukuha.blogspot.com/2009/05/guns-should-be-legal-in-kenya.html

[Ryan in Maine]

Aside from the gun rights aspect, this is an international attack considering the place and time. I find this concerning me more than Syria.

[Viking]

Aside from the gun rights aspect, this is an international attack considering the place and time. I find this concerning me more than Syria.

List, probably not complete, of the terrorists involved. I have no idea how accurate this is, though the name of the one from Sweden matches the name mentioned in a Twitter feed supposedly from the terrorists: http://ojihad.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/the-al-shabaab-terror-cell-that-attacked-westgate/

[Fly320s]

I was surprised to see SCARs and EOTechs.

[Perd Hapley]

Meanwhile, 78 people die in a church-bombing in Pakistan:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/world/asia/pakistan-church-bombing.html?_r=0

[BobR]

I was surprised to see SCARs and EOTechs.

So was I, but I think we may be looking at a more "elite" military unit with those weapons. One thing that has been reported is the Israeli Special Forces are there, but I haven't seen any pictures with them in it. It does make sense though, it is an Israeli owned mall and there are probably Israeli citizens in the mall.

bob

[HankB]

I was surprised to see SCARs and EOTechs.

Here's a picture of Kenyan troops arriving at the mall



Looks like three SCAR-H rifles (7.62 NATO) with Eotechs, and a couple of guys have AR pattern rifles.

Note that the two guys holding SCARs by the pistol grip have their fingers off the trigger, which suggests some quality training.

[Fly320s]

New SCARs, but old K-pots. 

Was it cold that day?  They all appear to be wearing wool hats.

[lee n. field]

Here's a picture of Kenyan troops arriving at the mall



Looks like three SCAR-H rifles (7.62 NATO) with Eotechs, and a couple of guys have AR pattern rifles.

Note that the two guys holding SCARs by the pistol grip have their fingers off the trigger, which suggests some quality training.

probably a little warm to be dressed like that.

[TechMan]

probably a little warm to be dressed like that.

If it was the morning that the picture was taken then maybe not. 

http://weatherspark.com/averages/29261/9/Nairobi-Kenya

[Scout26]

Note that the two guys holding SCARs by the pistol grip have their fingers off the trigger, which suggests some quality training.

Same with the pictures in the newspaper report.  Given that they are wearing British pattern camo, and were a British colony, I would bet some British training.

[AZRedhawk44]

More pictures. Horrific.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2427892/Nairobi-mall-Gunmen-massacred-22-Kenyan-shopping-centre-targeted-non-Islamics.html

Indeed.

I did find this, though:

Wounded: A Kenyan policeman sits clutching his stomach alongside his rifle while a colleague exchanges fire with the terrorists

Obviously not using the official AP style book when reporting on this story.  That's an AK-47 superwunderdeathomatickbabyassaulter.  Not a "rifle."

[AJ Dual]

Seeing the huge mix of plainclothes, private security, uniformed police, soldiers, and then the victims/evacuees on top of it all...

Other than the fact they're oriented towards a specific threat direction, and they're not killing/beating/shooting or taking hostage the person taking the photograph, what would set them apart from the terrorists?

I might have a bit more sympathy for the prior police Active Shooter doctrines of "Set a Perimeter" and "Gain control of the scene" etc.

[brimic]

Obviously not using the official AP style book when reporting on this story.  That's an AK-47 superwunderdeathomatickbabyassaulter.  Not a "rifle."

Actually, by the looks of it, its an M-16, probably a Bushmaster.

[Bigjake]

I'd be more concerned about some Beslan style *expletive deleted*it here,  Shooting up a mall is old hat.

[Jocassee]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2430201/Kenyan-Mall-Massacre-Off-duty-SAS-soldier-handgun-saved-100-lives.html

I had wondered about the white guy with a gun in the original round of pictures.

[Jocassee]

These are extremely graphic and sad. I find them to be motivating to brush up my marksmanship and other survival skills against the day the violence is attempted upon me or my family.

http://totallycoolpix.com/2013/09/graphic-the-westgate-shopping-center-shootings-in-kenya/