Kenya police: Samantha Lewthwaite not involved in Nairobi attack
Iran Press TV
Sun Oct 6, 2013 1:50PM GMT
British woman Samantha Lewthwaite was not among those involved in a deadly siege on a shopping center in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Kenya police has confirmed.
According to Kenya police, the British woman, known as "white widow" was not present during the attack on Westgate Mall in Nairobi.
'On Samantha we have also established that she was not part of the attackers in the building. There was no woman,' police chief David Kimaiyo said.
Kimaiyo said previous statements by Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed, according to which the British woman was among the attackers, were false and that the four attackers were all men.
According to reports, a new CCTV footage from the shopping center revealed four heavily-armed men were walking calmly through the mall before the beginning of the siege.
The remarks by Kenyan police would end speculations that the 29-year-old woman was among the attackers.
In late September, Interpol issued an arrest notice for Samantha Lewthwaite.
According to Interpol statement, the "red notice" or internationally wanted person alert was issued at the request of Kenya over charges of being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony dating back to December 2011.
Lewthwaite who uses the alias 'Natalie Webb' was previously only wanted at national level for possession of a fake South African passport.
Men armed with guns and grenades attacked the Westgate Mall on Saturday, 21 September and targeted people indiscriminately, killing at least 62 people and injuring many others.
Lewthwaite was believed to be a member of the Somali-based al-Shabaab militant group, which claimed responsibility for the attack.
MOS/HE
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