
This is the moment a lone hero British SAS trooper stormed into a luxury Kenyan hotel and exchanged fire with Islamist terrorists who slaughtered 21 people.

The off-duty Special Forces warrior, wearing combat gear over casual jeans and a purple shirt, was captured on camera entering the complex in Nairobi and then emerging with terrified survivors.

His face largely concealed by a balaclava, the unnamed soldier used a modified colt Canada rifle and carried a Glock 9mm side weapon as well as a knife for hand-to-hand combat.

He is understood to have been out shopping in the city when he heard about the attack and kitted up with equipment in the back of his car before heading to the scene to 'organise the entire operation'. Insiders say there is 'no doubt' his actions saved lives and he was hailed for his bravery last night.

Tuesday's terror attack saw five gunmen kill 21 people, including British charity executive Luke Potter and 41-year-old U.S. businessman Jason Spindler, after detonating car bombs outside.

More than 700 people were evacuated from the complex during the 20-hour siege, however some 50 people believed to have been in the building at the time of the attack are still unaccounted for, according to the Kenya Red Cross.

Photos from the scenes yesterday show the off-duty Special Forces warrior with combat gear over a casual jeans and purple shirt storming the building and rescuing civilians

The SAS hero was also seen rescuing civilians from inside the hotel complex while members of the Kenyan security forces fired at the terrorists

The British special forces soldier carries a casualty out of the building with help from a member of the security forces

The British special forces soldier enters the building in Nairobi, Kenya, carrying his modified colt Canada rifle

An image purporting to show one of the terrorists with a bandolier around his body and bullet casings scattered across the floor

Another image purporting to show one of the terrorists, with bullet damage to the wall behind him and wounds covering his corpse

AK-47s used by the terrorists (left) lie on the ground after being recovered by police, the five terrorists also wore bandoliers (right) which appear to be stuffed with rifle magazines and grenades

The British SAS soldier was reportedly in Nairobi to train Kenyan Special Forces when five Islamist terrorists attacked a luxury hotel complex in the city

The British SAS soldier was reportedly in Nairobi to train Kenyan Special Forces when a request for help went out to local forces.

'He was there training and mentoring Kenyan forces when the shout went up, so they went in,' an insider told The Sun.

'British Special Forces always run towards the sound of gunfire. He fired off rounds during the operation. It's a safe bet he hit his target — the SAS don't miss. There's no doubt his actions saved lives.

'He is a long serving member of the Regiment, there is no doubt his actions saved lives.'

Major Dominic Troulan Major Dominic Troulan In 2017 Major Dominic Troulan, who served for two decades in the special forces, became the first civilian recipient of the George Cross in more than 40 years. Armed with just a pistol, Major Troulan returned a dozen times to the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi in 2013 to search for survivors and lead them to safety after al-Shabaab extremists stormed the centre armed with machine guns and grenades. He was asked by a friend to find his wife and daughter who were trapped inside the building - but selflessly went back inside to save dozens of other men, women and children. Some 67 people lost their lives during the four-day siege. Major Troulan, who moved to Kenya 12 years ago with his family and works as a security risk manager, said his familiarity with the mall where he regularly shopped and relaxed with his family, put a different slant on events. He said: 'The horrific carnage that the terrorists managed to conduct in pretty short order really will live with all of us that were involved there, both the hostages, the victims' families and extended friends who were actually in there and saw it first-hand.' Advertisement

Revealing more about the soldier's daring actions, SAS veteran Chris Ryan – who served in the elite regiment for 10 years – told the Mirror the soldier 'was out shopping', when he heard about the hotel attack.

He said: 'He had his equipment in the car so, when it all kicked off, he sprinted back and got kitted up before heading straight towards the fire-fight.

'When he arrived in the hotel, he started organising the entire operation, directing the police and army.

'Then he went in there on his own to neutralise the enemy and rescue the hostages. His actions certainly saved many lives and show the manner of these men, who are extremely brave and always ready.'

When contacted by MailOnline, the Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the report.

Meanwhile, another army veteran, who was awarded the George Cross when he risked his life to save hundreds of people held hostage by Islamic terrorists five years ago, again found himself at the centre of the action.

Retired Royal Marine Major Dominic Troulan was awarded the prestigious honour for his heroics in the 2013 terror attack on Nairobi's Westgate Mall after he helped to rescue the wife and daughter of a friend trapped inside the shopping centre.

The former special forces soldier also risked his life repeatedly enterering the mall to rescue other civilians.

On Tuesday he was forced into action again when the six militants entered the complex where he had been working providing private security.

He told The Times: 'I was literally going to send the last email of the day when there was a f***-off explosion. I saw smoke, heard gunfire and dispatched my client downstairs and out the back of the compound.

'Then I came back because we still had people in the building. We went firm and hunkered down in a conference room until about 6pm [three hours after the attack started]. There were General Service Unit police paramilitaries patrolling outside the building. I went outside and made sure we were good to get out.'

Once his colleagues were safe, Mr Troulan braved the carnage to rescue a driver who was hiding in a multi-storey car park.

The unnamed soldier helped rescue civilians and reportedly helped storm the complex

Kenyan security officers search for attackers during an ongoing gunfire and explosions in Nairobi on Tuesday

People take cover as they follow a police officer to evacuate the upscale hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi

Security forces help civilians flee the scene as cars burn behind, at a hotel complex in Nairobi

Rescued: A distressed woman is taken out of the luxury hotel complex during the terror attack on Tuesday

Kenyan security forces walk from the scene shortly before President Kenyatta announced that the attack was over and all terrorists killed

President Kenyatta said that 21 civilians have been confirmed dead and that more than 700 people had been evacuated to safety during the attack.

Yesterday, charity executive Luke Potter was named as the British man killed in the attack.

Mr Potter worked for the Gatsby Charitable Foundation as their Africa Programmes Director, and had only recently moved to Nairobi from the UK.

Luke Potter (pictured) worked for the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and had only recently moved to Nairobi from Britain when he was killed in the terror attack yesterday

The father-of-one had worked for the international development charity for more than three years, most recently on projects across East Africa.

Mr Potter, a dual British-South African citizen, described himself on his company website as loving water-sports, camping, hiking and talking about adventures outside the city.

'I strongly believe in the need for societies to offer as equal an opportunity as possible to all, and that, while economic competitiveness is essential to build a country, long-term stability is not achievable unless the gains are widely spread,' he said on the website

The Gatsby Charitable Foundation said in a statement they were 'deeply shocked and saddened' to confirm the death of Mr Potter.

'Luke had devoted the past ten years of his career to helping some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. He had worked with us for three and a half years, carrying out assignments across East Africa.

Describing Mr Potter as 'deeply committed to his work', the statement added that 'Luke was respected by all he worked with, bringing huge drive, determination, a relentless work ethic, and a thirst for new ideas to every project. He brought a calm head and his unique sense of humour to every situation.

'We share the grief of his family, partner, daughter and friends. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with them. We are now focused on offering all the support we can to them and to our staff.'

Mr Potter had an Master of Business Administration from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and had previously worked for charity TechnoServe in east Africa and for Unilever.

U.S. businessman Jason Spindler from Houston, Texas was also among the dead.

Spindler, who turned 41 on the very day of the terror attack, had survived the 9/11 terror attack on World Trade Center in 2001.

Mr Spindler's father, Joseph, had been enjoying a successful career on Wall Street when he decided that he wanted to develop a model for helping low-income people.

Horrifying moment suicide bomber blows himself up is captured on CCTV Dramatic footage has emerged showing the horrifying moment a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Kenyan terror attack. CCTV, released to local media, shows the attacker walking calmly in front of what is believed to be the terrace of a restaurant in the complex. At least two people are seen passing the assailant, one of them appearing to turn his head to take a close look at him. The assailant stands still in front of the covered terrace for almost a minute, before he blows himself up. Soon after, panicked guests and workers are seen running past the scene of the explosion. This is the shocking moment a suicide bomber blows himself up in the Kenyan terror attack that killed 21 people. Harrowing CCTV, released to local media, shows the attacker walking calmly in front of what is believed to be the terrace of a restaurant in the complex At least two people are seen passing the assailant, one of them appearing to turn his head to take a close look at him. The assailant stands still in front of the covered terrace for almost a minute, before he blows himself up Kenyan police said the attack began with an explosion outside the complex, followed by a suicide blast inside, before armed assailants arrived and opened fire Soon after, panicked guests and workers are seen running past the scene of the explosion. The Al-Shabaab extremist group, which is based in Somalia and allied with al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the brazen attack, which claimed the lives of 21 people, plus the five militants killed Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, which has links to al-Qaeda, claimed it was behind the attack at the DusitD2 complex, situated in Nairobi's well-to-do Westlands neighbourhood, popular with many foreign expatriates Al-Shabaab has vowed retribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia to fight it since 2011. Tuesday's violence came three years to the day after al-Shabaab extremists attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia, killing scores of people Advertisement

Spindler later became the founder and CEO of I-DEV International, a management strategy and investment firm based in Nairobi, and had lived in Kenya for the past five years.

Another British citizen was injured in the attack and is receiving care, the Foreign Office confirmed yesterday.

London-based company Adam Smith International also said two employees were killed in the attack.

Abdalla Dahir and Feisal Ahmed were killed on the terrace of a restaurant in the complex where the company has Nairobi offices, the company said in a statement.

Survivors of the attack have shared the horrific tales of what went on inside the hotel complex when the gunmen stormed the building.

Reuben Kimani, a barista working at the hotel, said he recognised at least one of the attackers, having served him coffee in the run-up to the assault.

'I knew one of them because he had a big scar on one of his hands,' he said. 'I saw them. They shot six of my friends, four didn't die but two succumbed.'

He said the attackers yelled out 'why are you killing our brothers and sisters in Somalia?' before opening fire.

Spindler is pictured during a trip to Puerto Rico with friends in 2013 (left) and (right), rock climbing in Nairobi

Jason Spindler (pictured), 40, was killed at the Dusit hotel in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi along with 13 others on Tuesday

Friends mourned the businessman (shown far left with a group during a trip to Puerto Rico in 2017) as news of his death emerged

Gunmen blasted their way into the venue - sending workers fleeing for their lives as others cowered under their desks. Pictured: Bullet holes in the windows of a restaurant inside the venue

Thailand's deputy PM say terrorists may have targeted hotel 'because the food is delicious' Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister said he thought the Thai-owned hotel in Nairobi had been attacked by terrorists 'because the food is delicious'. Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also the Defence Minister, made the comment yesterday during a press briefing. Wongsuwan told reporters it was 'good enough' that no Thai citizens had been killed in the horrific attack in Nairobi on Tuesday. When asked why he thought a Thai-owned hotel had been targeted, he replied: 'I don't know. Maybe because the food is delicious.' The DusitD2 hotel is owned by Dusit Thani, a multinational chain which has 29 hotels and resorts in 18 countries. Advertisement

Cyprian Otieno, a 23-year-old student, met a friend for lunch elsewhere in Westlands, and then decided to go to the Dusit where his friend wanted to grab a cocktail.

'All of a sudden we heard a weird BOOM followed by gunfire! Security guards at the entrance screamed 'get back, get back' in English and Swahili,' he told AFP via Twitter.

He said some fled while others tried to hide, waiting about half an hour until they heard a voice shouting 'kill them, kill them' in Swahili and more gunfire.

Terrified a group of about 20 people fled towards the back of the hotel.

'Sorry to say at that point it was every man for himself. We were all together in the beginning but after a few minutes the attackers began shooting... I can't even really remember what happened afterwards.'

Tracy Wanjiru, 28, a manager at a salon housed in the complex, found herself in the middle of another Shabaab strike, five years after surviving an attack on the Westgate mall while she was six months pregnant.

Speaking to the Nation media group she said: 'I was working there (Westgate) when the attackers stormed in, it was not easy just like today. All I can say is that I thank God.'

After the first blast was heard at the DusitD2 complex, Wanjiru says she saw 'human body parts in the midst of fire flames flying in the air'.

The Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab claimed that it was behind the attack at the complex - which includes a large hotel known as DusitD2, banks and offices. Pictured: People run for cover

An injured man is evacuated from the scene of an explosion. Thick black smoke can be seen billowing from the complex behind them

A shell-shocked woman is evacuated form the Dusit Hotel by hotel staff and security guards who try to calm her down

Members of Kenyan special forces at the scene of an attach by an extremist gunman which killed 21 people

More than 700 people were evacuated from the complex overnight, however some 50 people believed to have been in the building at the time of the attack are still unaccounted for, according to the Kenya Red Cross

Members of Kenyan special forces at the scene of an attack by an extremist gunman Wednesday

A armoured Hummer truck ferries Kenyan special forces troops following the deadly terror attack

A Kenyan officer from a special unit looks on outside the business complex in Nairobi

Kenya's Interior Minister Fred Matiangi (pictured centre) addresses journalists near to where the Islamist militants struck yesterday

A Kenyan officer from a special unit looks on outside the business complex in Nairobi, Kenya,

Muslim men prepare to bury the bodies of felllow Muslim men Abdalla Mohammed Dahir, 28, and his age mate Feisal Ahmed Rashid, who were killed in the DusitD2 Hotel and Office Complex attack, out of the mosque to trasnport it to the cemetery

Mourners carry the body of Feisal Ahmed, who was killed with his colleague Abdalla Dahir in Tuesday's attack, as they leave a mosque and head to the funerals in Nairobi, Kenya

Relatives and mourners bury the body of Feisal Ahmed Rashid, who was killed the previous day in an attack on a Nairobi luxury hotel complex, during his funeral service at the Langata Muslim cemetery in Nairobi

Collected packs of blood donation in a mobile station at the August 7th Memorial Park, where the 1998 terrorist bomb attack took place at the then United States Embassy, in Nairobi, a day after a blast followed by a gun battle that rocked the upmarket hotel complex the day before. Kenyan President said that gunmen who stormed the hotel complex on January 15, 2019, killing 21 people, had been 'eliminated' after an almost 20-hour operation in which hundreds of civilians were rescued

Relatives carry the remains of Feisal Ahmed Rashid, who was killed the previous day in an attack on a Nairobi luxury hotel complex, during his funeral service at the Langata Muslim cemetery in Nairobi on January 16, 2019

Relatives and mourners bury the body of Feisal Ahmed Rashid, who was killed the previous day in an attack on a Nairobi luxury hotel complex, during his funeral service at the Langata Muslim cemetery in Nairobi

Mourners stand with their shovels after burying the bodies of Abdalla Dahir and his colleague Feisal Ahmed, who were both killed in Tuesday's attack

Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, which has links to al-Qaeda, claimed it was behind the attack at the DusitD2 complex, situated in Nairobi's well-to-do Westlands neighbourhood, popular with many foreign expatriates.

As well as the Thai-owned luxury hotel DusitD2, the comples is home to offices of several international companies including Colgate Palmolive, Reckitt Benckiser, Pernod Ricard, Dow Chemical and SAP, as well as the Thai-owned luxury hotel DusitD2.

Kenya's Citizen TV aired security camera footage that showed at least four heavily armed men in dark-coloured, paramilitary-style gear. Officials later confirmed that five terrorists had been involved in the attack and killed.

Kenya's national police chief, Joseph Boinnet, said the coordinated assault began with an explosion that targeted three vehicles outside a bank, and a suicide bombing in the hotel lobby that severely wounded a number of guests.

Kenyan hospitals appealed for blood donations even as the number of wounded remained unclear.

A CCTV grab showing one of five suspected al Shabaab attackers who opened fire in the hotel as a suicide bomber detonated in the lobby

CCTV showing two of the alleged attackers walking past a barrier towards the hotel wearing dark paramilitary-style gear. Al Shabaab has already claimed responsibility for the carnage

Shell-shocked survivors are rushed to safety from the complex, barely-clothed, by security forces

An armed officer tells survivors to stay back and duck down as he tries to lead them to safety

A female member of staff cries after making it out of the complex. Her male colleagues and a guard console her

Video footage from inside the hotel showed Kenyan security officers searching the building and workers emerging from hiding while gunfire could still be heard. Some climbed out a window by ladder.

One man got up from the floor where he appeared to be trying to hide under a piece of wooden panelling.

Al-Shabaab's 2013 attack at the nearby Westgate Mall in Nairobi that killed 67 people, this one appeared aimed at wealthy Kenyans and foreigners. It came a day after a magistrate ruled that three men must stand trial in connection with the Westgate Mall siege.

Al-Shabaab has vowed retribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia to fight it since 2011. Tuesday's violence came three years to the day after al-Shabaab extremists attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia, killing scores of people.

The group has killed hundreds of people in Kenya. In the deadliest attack, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for an assault on Kenya's Garissa University in 2015 that killed 147 people, mostly students.

The latest carnage demonstrated al-Shabaab's continued ability to carry out spectacular acts of bloodshed despite a dramatic increase in US air strikes against it under President Donald Trump.

How the horror at the DusitD2 Hotel unfolded: Tuesday, 3pm: Initial reports of an explosion and gunfire from the Riverside Drive complex, including the hotel, shops, restaurants and offices in Nairobi's leafy Westlands neighborhood. Several cars are ablaze in a parking lot as security forces stream in and people run or are carried from the scene. Police quickly call it a terror attack. 4:30pm: Plainclothes armed officers hurry from shop to shop to look for trapped civilians and an unknown number of attackers. A black plume of smoke rises from the scene. Sporadic gunfire continues. 5pm: The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabaab claims responsibility and says its members are still fighting inside as surivivors rush from the scene, looking distraught and reporting dead bodies. 6pm: Kenya's national police chief says special forces are trying to flush out the attackers and look forward to 'bringing the situation to normalcy in the shortest time possible.' Kenyans watch the police response closely after officers took hours to respond to a deadly attack on the nearby Westgate Mall in 2013. 7pm: A Kenyan police officer among the first on the scene says 'there was no time to count the dead,' with bodies seen in restaurants downstairs and in offices upstairs. Gunfire continues. 8:30pm: Kenya's national police chief gives the first official details of the attack, saying it began with an explosion that targeted three vehicles outside a bank while a suicide bomber blew up in the hotel lobby, severely wounding bystanders. He calls the operation 'still ongoing.' 11pm: Kenya's interior minister says all buildings have been secured and security forces are in the final stages of 'mopping up.' Still no official toll of dead wounded. 11:30pm: Kenya's Citizen TV airs what it calls surveillance footage that shows four attackers, young men in ammunition bandoliers, splitting up as they calmly walk across an outdoor area of the complex. Wednesday, 1am: Some family members say loved ones are still trapped inside even after Kenyan authorities called all buildings secure. One woman says her brother is hiding with over 10 other people. 2am: Kenyan police officer says 15 bodies have been taken to the morgue. Anguished family and friends gather there. 4am: Kenya's interior ministry says 'no further threat to the public exists' and that civilians who had been 'secured' in one building have been safely evacuated. 6:45am: Another explosion and gunfire are heard, shortly after scores of survivors who had still been holed up in part of the complex are freed. They reunite with relieved friends and family and recount a long night of cowering in hiding places while listening to nearby gunfire. 9:00am: Bursts of gunfire are still heard from the complex. The security forces work their way through the hotel complex, finding terrified groups of people who have barricaded themselves into rooms. More than 100 are retrieved and taken for medical treatment. 10:30am: Kenyan president says 14 'innocent people' are dead and declares the attack over, saying all the terrorists have been eliminated. Advertisement