3 Britons confirmed dead in Kenya mall attack

Three British nationals died in Saturday's terrorist attack on a shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, according to a statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. "On the incident at the Westgate Center in Nairobi, Kenya, and with reports of both assailants and civilians still in the building, an FCO spokesperson said that three British nationals are confirmed dead," the statement issued by the British High Commission in Nairobi said on Sunday. The statement said the next of kin of those nationals have been informed, adding that the number of British nationals confirmed as killed is likely to rise as further information becomes available. "The government has sent a rapid deployment team from London to Nairobi to provide further consular support. Staff from Addis Ababa have also been sent to Nairobi to assist. The UK High Commission in Nairobi has consular staff at the site and nearby hospitals," it said. The statement comes after the Kenyan government said it had managed to rescue over 1,000 hostages from the Westgate shopping mall. At least 59 people have been killed and 175 others injured. According to the government, intelligence information indicated that 10 to 15 attackers and an unknown number of hostages including both locals and foreigners are still in the building. Fierce gunfire was heard from the mall on Sunday as the hostage standoff entered its second day amid heavy security around the building. Somalia-based Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it is retaliation for Kenya's military intervention in the Horn of Africa nation. An Al-Shabaab spokesman said in an audio message, "Either leave our country or live with constant attacks." The Al-Qaida linked group in Twitter account said it had warned there would be consequences when Kenyan soldiers entered southern Somalia to fight the militants in October 2011.