Originally published on September 25, 2013
In the aftermath of the Kenya Westgate mall attack, the detailed planning of the terrorists conducting the siege has become clear.
The group had poured over blueprints of the mall months in advance, identifying all available doors to lock, possible vantage points and even the air duct system of the popular mall.
Before Saturday's four day siege began, the group of militants had visited the mall on at least one other occasion to stow away supplies of weapons and ammunition.
Explosive devices were also planted by the terrorists around the mall in the days before the siege began.
Kenyan military sources said the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist network had recruited English-speaking jihadists from abroad for the Westgate attack.
The official languages of Kenya are English and Swahili. Reports of foreign-recruited attackers fuelled speculation that one of the woman involved in the four-day heist is British national Samantha Lethwaite, dubbed the "White Widow" in Kenya and a known terrorist suspect.
As Kenyan military forces made their sweep of the Westgate mall on Tuesday and Wednesday, explosions and gunfire were heard. The gunfire was attributed to soldiers firing warning shots into areas of the mall they were clearing, to check for enemy return fire.
Explosions that sent already shaken civilians running for cover were military officers defusing booby traps that had been left by the terrorists around the mall.
