Riverside attack: Policeman succumbs, six bodies found as death toll rises to 21
The death toll from a bomb and gun attack by Islamist militants on an upmarket hotel complex in Nairobi has risen to 21, Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet says.
“We wish to inform that, as of this evening… six other bodies were found at the scene and one police officer succumbed very suddenly to his injuries,” he told reporters.
Mr Boinett said 16 were Kenyans, one Briton, one American; the nationality of the remaining three is not yet known.
Further, he confirmed that two people had been arrested in relation to the attack.
“They are in police custody and we have a reason to believe that they facilitated the attack. They are assisting the police with investigations,” he said during a late night media briefing at his office.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday morning declared the terrorist attack at 14 Riverside Drive over, with all the terrorists having been killed.
About 700 people were rescued from the compound since the start of the attack on Tuesday through the early hours of Wednesday morning, the President said.
On Tuesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i had said the country is safe, urging Kenyans to continue with their activities.
“We remain an integral part of the international community that stands up to terror in all its guises,” he said.