Somalia's Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility For Nairobi Westgate Kenya Attack

A senior figure in the Somali militant group al-Shabab has said it carried out a deadly attack on a shopping centre in neighbouring Kenya.

Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, said the attack was in response to Kenya's presence in Somalia, where its troops have been fighting the militants since 2011.

Earlier, Kenyan officials blamed "armed criminals", putting the toll at 11.

However, the Red Cross says at least 30 people were killed and dozens injured.

On its Twitter feed, the al-Qaeda-linked group said it confirmed it was behind what it called the "Westgate spectacle".

The attackers entered the Westgate centre at about 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT), throwing grenades and firing automatic weapons.

Dozens of shoppers fled; many were trapped inside.