South African among 21 killed in Kenya terror attack
Luke Potter, an Africa programmes director for the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, were among the 21 people that died in the terror attack.
Survivors flee the scene of the attack on an upmarket hotel in the Kenyan capital. AFP/SIMON MAINA
The death toll in Al Shabaab’s terror attack on Kenya has risen to 21, with 19 people remaining unaccounted for, the BBC reported on Thursday. A further 28 have been admitted to hospital.
One of those killed on Wednesday in the terrorist attack in Kenya was a South African, News24 reports.
He has been identified as Luke Potter, who help dual South African and British citizenship and was visiting Kenya for the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, for which he functioned as Africa programmes director.
Potter reportedly worked for the foundation for ten years, spending three of these in East Africa.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened to confirm that Luke Potter was killed in the recent security incident in Nairobi,” said a statement from the organisation.
“Luke was instrumental in establishing our forestry programme and team in Kenya, and provided crucial leadership, guidance and support to our Tanzanian forestry programme and our tea programmes in Rwanda and Tanzania.”
Luke Potter.
Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab has taken responsibility for the attack.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Wednesday that all Islamists who had stormed an upmarket hotel complex had been “eliminated” after an almost 20-hour siege that left at least 21 dead.
“I can confirm that … the security operation at Dusit complex is over and all the terrorists eliminated,” Kenyatta said in a televised address to the nation.
Kenyatta said 700 civilians had been rescued throughout the siege, but did not clarify if people were still hiding in the complex.
It was not immediately clear how many attackers there were in total.
CCTV footage broadcast on local media showed four black-clad, heavily armed men entering the complex on Tuesday afternoon.
At least one of them blew himself up at the start of the attack.
A police source said two attackers had been shot dead Wednesday morning after a prolonged shootout, and that another two suspects have been arrested.
“The two have red bandanas tied around their forehead and bullets strapped around their chest with several magazines each,” the senior police officer said.
“Each had an AK-47 which has been secured.”
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