Thursday, 17 October 2013

Fresh CCTV footage shows brutality of Westgate attackers


Image from previously released CCTV footage of one of the Westgate mall attackersAn attacker talks on his mobile phone in images from previously released closed circuit TV images
New CCTV footage has emerged from the siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, shedding more light on the brutality of the attackers.
The silent footage is from 21 September - the first day of what turned into a four-day nightmare for many of those trapped inside.
It depicts the terrified reactions among shoppers at the moment the gunmen first went on the attack.
The gunmen shoot randomly, while taking phone calls and pausing to pray.
At least 67 people were killed in the assault.
Only four gunmen can be seen on this CCTV footage. It is still not clear if they escaped or were killed.

Analysis

With many unanswered questions over the attack, any new footage is inevitably a source of immense curiosity. But some Kenyans saw the internet link and chose not to click on it. One woman said she did not want any more trauma. "It is time to move on," she said.
It makes chilling viewing. The sheer cold-hearted nature of the gunmen, who appeared calm and in control as they meted out their terror, is shocking.
"We have heard witnesses talking about it but this was the first time I felt the reality of the horror myself," said another woman after watching.
Other Kenyans are asking who released the footage and why. They wonder why no official information whatsoever has been given out concerning the investigation.
The information the government was feeding us during the attack rings hollow now and nearly four weeks on there is still no evidence to disprove the possibility that the havoc was caused by just four gunmen.
This footage from surveillance cameras was obtained by news organisation CNN, which edited out most of the footage it received, including the most graphic content.
Shoppers in one store are shown going about their business and then turning around in unison, as they simultaneously become aware of the beginnings of the attack.
Nonchalant
They turn and run towards the back of the shop, one man scooping up his child as he goes.
A gunman - headscarf around his head, weapons slung around his body - walks nonchalantly into the shop behind them, stopping to shoot a man trying to hide before walking on.
The wounded man is then seen pulling himself upright, trying to summon help - only for another gunman to appear on the scene, who went on in unseen footage to shoot him dead.
Images from the mall concourse show fleeing shoppers throwing themselves to the floor and trying to scramble away as bullets scream past them.
In scenes from a supermarket, a mother and her two children are shown wheeling an injured child away in a trolley. An injured teenager follows behind them, her hands in the air as a gunman directs her where to go.
According to CNN, these hostages were later freed alive.
The four apparently relaxed gunman who appear in this footage are also shown in a storage area, taking turns to kneel and pray.
In other scenes, they walk through a supermarket, talking on their phones - possibly taking instructions from outside.
The exact number of victims and attackers involved in the Westgate siege remain unconfirmed, and a parliamentary investigation is in progress.

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