Kenyan security forces get out of a car after a blast followed by a gun battle.

NAIROBI — Somali militants reportedly killed at least 15 people people after attacking a luxury hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya.



The attack on the 14 Riverside complex began around 3 p.m. Tuesday, sending employees and guests diving for cover behind desks and under cafe tables. The Somali militant group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility.

At least 15 people died, Reuters and other outlets reported, including an American man. The US State Department confirmed to the Associated Press that a US citizen was among the dead, but declined to identify the person. A Kenyan police officer told the AP that officials took 15 bodies to the morgue. According to Reuters, an attendant at the mortuary said that 11 of the victims were Kenyan, two have yet to be identified, and another was a British national.

Security forces evacuated "scores of Kenyans and other nationalities from the buildings" to ensure that they were secure, Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i said in a statement. Officials, he added, were "mopping up the area," and the "nation remains calm."

"Kenyans and all our visitors are safe and should feel free to continue going about their normal business," he said.

However, Kenyan authorities have yet to say whether the militants are in custody or contained.



US Ambassador to Kenya Bob Godec expressed condolences on Twitter late Tuesday night, and commended "the courage of Kenyan security services actively working to end the attack."

Godec added that "the US Mission is in close communication with Kenyan authorities and is providing assistance. All Mission personnel are safe and we stand ready to assist US citizens in need."