[KENYA MALL ATTACK] Ex British Soldier With A Handgun Saved 100 Lives

The Former Marine helps two women to safety

An Ex Royal Marine who was having coffee at the Westgate mall when it was attacked on Saturday  emerged as a hero after he was credited with saving close to a 100 lives.

The former marine who cannot be named for security reasons returned to the attacked mall a dozen times despite the intense gunfire. He is pictured above taking to women from the mall to safety.

A friend in Nairobi said: ‘What he did was so heroic. He was having coffee with friends when it happened.

‘He went back in 12 times and saved 100 people. Imagine going back in when you knew what was going on inside.’

His story emerged as sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from inside the mall early today as Kenyan security forces battled Al Qaeda-linked terrorists into a fourth day.

Sources said the soldier was in the Royal Marine and now lives in Kenyan. He cannot be named for security reasons.

The British military regularly train and operate out of Kenya, and have been involved in tracking UK citizens involved with hardline Islamists in Somalia and Yemen.

Despite Kenyan police assurances that they had taken control of the building, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 hostages were still being held by a band of attackers, possibly as many as 13.



Early today, sporadic gunfire rang out from inside the mall as Kenyan security forces battled Al Qaeda-linked terrorists into a fourth day in what they said was a final push to rescue the last few hostages in a siege that has left more than 60 people dead.

'Taken control of all the floors. We're not here to feed the attackers with pastries but to finish and punish them,' Kenyan police Inspector General David Kimaiyo said on Twitter.



Meanwhile, Kenya's foreign minister Amina Mohamed said up to three Americans and one British person were among those who attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi.

Britain's foreign office said it was aware of the foreign minister's remarks, but would not confirm if a British woman was involved.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said there had been six British deaths and the number could rise.

The attacker from Britain was a woman who has 'done this many times before,' Mohamed said which lends weight to speculation that the so-called 'White Widow', Samantha Lewhwaite may have taken part in the raid.

U.S. officials said they were looking into whether any Americans were involved. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday that the department had 'no definitive evidence of the nationalities or the identities' of the attackers.