A major assault is ongoing against Al Shabaab gunmen in an attempt to end a siege in a shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenyan officials told the AFP news agency.
Up to 15 terrorists remain inside the centre after the attack left 59 people dead, including at least three Britons, though the death toll could be "much, much higher" a police officer said, after reports from inside of multiple corpses.
The gang burst into the upmarket Westgate shopping centre yesterday afternoon armed with guns and grenades.
Unconfirmed reports suggest women as well as men took part in the attack.
Some of those killed were reportedly executed after failing to recite a Muslim prayer at gunpoint. Others were shot at the entrance to the mall as they tried to escape.
Military personel mobilise outside the Westgate shopping centre The Kenyan Red Cross estimate at least 200 people have been injured and 49 others are still missing.
A Foreign Office spokesman said three Britons were among those killed and warned the number is likely to rise.
Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the "despicable attack", saying it was an act of "appalling brutality".
"Because the situation is ongoing, we should prepare ourselves for further bad news," he added.
A Kenyan army soldier takes cover behind a wall near the centre More than 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the shopping centre but an unknown number remain inside.
Security forces have taken control of the upper and lower levels of the building, but an army spokesman told Sky News they were yet to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.
Other reports suggested the attackers are holed up in a toilet block next to a supermarket on the ground floor of the complex.
People took cover behind cars as the stand-off continued into the night Witnesses reported hearing fierce gunfire and explosions on Sunday morning, as police and the military tried to reach the remaining hostages.
Military helicopters have also been seen swooping low around the area as sporadic volleys of gunfire continue to rattle through the centre.
Witnesses nearby report hearing a large explosion rocking the complex late this afternoon.
The upmarket Westgate shopping centre is located in the centre of Nairobi 
Two Canadians are confirmed to have been killed in the attack, while two French citizens and a Dutch woman are also among the dead.
The Somalia-based Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks.
President Kenyatta said one of his nephews and his nephew's fiancee were among the 59 people confirmed killed.
A cremation for Nehal Vekaria, a 16-year-old student who died in the attack "They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts," the President said in an emotional speech to the nation. "We will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully."
Saadia Ahmed, a radio presenter from Nairobi caught up in the attack, said the attackers released people able to prove they were Muslim.
"I witnessed a few people get up and say something in Arabic and the gunmen let them go. A colleague of mine said he was Muslim and recited something in Arabic and they let him go as well.
Some 1,000 men, women and children, were caught-up in strike 
"I saw a lot of children and elderly people being shot dead. I don't understand why you would shoot a five-year-old child. They were firing at random at anyone who tried to escape."
Tales of survival are continuing to emerge as the siege continues.
Nahashon Mwangi said he was at work when he received a desperate telephone call from his son from inside the centre.
"Dad, I have been shot in the neck and hand. I am bleeding. Come and help me please," his son told him.
When he called later, his son, who survived the attack, replied: "Don't call me again. I just want you to get me out of here. If they hear me talking, they are going to kill me."
:: A helpline has been set up for people in the UK who are concerned about relatives in Kenya: 020 7008 000.
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