Gunmen attack Kenya shopping mall

By Patrick Garrity, Staff Writer, NBC News

Gunmen armed with AK-47s and grenades stormed a crowded shopping mall in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Saturday in a brazen midday attack.

At least 15 people have been killed in the assault, the Kenya Red Cross estimated, though Kenyan police and government officials have not released numbers of casualties.

"I would say so far we have at least 15 dead. The casualties are many, and that's only what we have on the outside," Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Abbas Guled told Reuters.

"Inside there are even more casualties and shooting is still going on," he said.

A witness said that the gunmen told Muslims to stand up and leave and that non-Muslims would be targeted, according to The Associated Press.

Two hours after the attack began, armed police combed the shopping complex store by store and sporadic gunfire could still be heard.

The Westgate shopping mall is reportedly frequented by wealthy Kenyans and Westerners.

No group has taken responsibility for the attack. Somalia's rebel group al-Shabab vowed in late 2011 to carry out a large-scale attack in Nairobi in retaliation for Kenya's sending of troops into Somalia to fight the Islamic insurgents, according to the AP.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.