David Cameron has warned the country to be braced for “more bad news” after three British people were confirmed dead in the Nairobi terror attack.
Gunfire has reportedly been heard from inside the Westgate Mall this morning, where Kenyan Defence Forces are still involved in a hostage rescue operation.
One of the Britons killed in the attack has been named in reports as Ross Langdon, who had dual nationality with Australia.
The architect reportedly died alongside his girlfriend who was said to be heavily pregnant, Australian media have said.
Earlier the Kenyan Defence Forces said “most of the hostages” had already been rescued and the majority of the building had been secured in a major military operation.
The UK has offered Kenya assistance, including intelligence co-operation, in response to the attack by Islamic extremists in the upmarket shopping centre which has left 68 dead and more than 170 injured, including many children.
Somali-based militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the atrocity, which Mr Cameron described as an “absolutely sickening and despicable act of appalling brutality”.
The Foreign Office is investigating suggestions that a female British terror suspect nicknamed the “White Widow” could have been linked to the plot.
It came after reports emerged that a woman was among the attackers, fuelling speculation that wanted Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay, was involved.
She is wanted by Kenyan police over links to a suspected terrorist cell planning bomb attacks.
In March 2012 it was reported that Lewthwaite, 29, who is originally from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had fled across the border from Kenya to Somalia.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the reports and we are looking into them.”
The spokesman added: “It is really difficult to substantiate. We are looking at the names and seeing what we can find out.”
A Twitter account purporting to be an al-Shabaab spokesman named a 24-year-old man from London as one of the gunmen.
The account listed a string of names it claimed were involved in the attack before being closed down, as previous usernames linked to the terrorist group had been.
The Kenya Defence Forces said it is now in control of the majority of the shopping mall.
“Most of the hostages have been rescued and security forces have taken control of most parts of the building … all efforts are under way to bring this matter to a speedy conclusion,” it said.
Four personnel were injured in the operation to retake the mall and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Mr Cameron said he had offered the Kenyan authorities “every assistance” in a call to president Uhuru Kenyatta, who lost members of his own family in the attack.
He said he is returning to London to chair an emergency meeting.
He tweeted: “I’m cutting short a visit to Balmoral to return to Downing Street to chair COBRA late this afternoon, dealing with the Kenya terror attacks.”
The Prime Minister was at pains to stress that the perpetrators did not represent the majority of Muslims but had carried out the atrocity “in the name of terror, violence and extremism”.
“These appalling terrorist attacks that take place, where the perpetrators claim they do it in the name of a religion, they don’t,” he said.
“They do it in the name of terror, violence and extremism and their warped view of the world.
“They don’t represent Islam or Muslims in Britain or anywhere else in the world.”
Setting out the UK’s response, he added: “Obviously the first priority is to make sure we do everything for the British nationals caught up in this, so we’re strengthening the consular services that we have and the people that we have to look after our people.
“We’ve also offered the Kenyans help in terms of policing and advice and intelligence collaboration and other areas which we will be able to help with.”
Terrified shoppers have told of how they huddled in back hallways as gunmen threw grenades and then opened fire
Witness Elijah Kamau said the gunmen told Muslims to stand up and leave and that non-Muslims would be targeted, as they began their attack.
Among those dead was reportedly a pregnant woman who had organised a children’s party at the mall.
Foreigners from France, Canada, India, the Netherlands, South Africa, Ghana and the US were also killed in the attack, including a Canadian diplomat working at Canada’s High Commission to Kenya.
An al-Shaabab spokesman told Channel 4 News that westerners would not be safe in Kenya until the country pulled its forces out of Somalia.
He said: “Kenyans have blood on their hands. Anyone who is prepared to come to Kenya must be prepared to face the reality, and we don’t fear Europeans and Americans because we are not weak.
“And we are saying to the Europeans and the Americans who have been supporting those who have been attacking us, you should tell the Kenyans to stop their aggression if you want to be safe.”