British convert suspected of involvement in Nairobi attack
A British woman nicknamed the “white window” is thought to have been involved in the terrorist attack at a Kenyan shopping centre that left has at least 62 people dead.
The Kenyan foreign minister Amina Mohamed said that a British woman, who has allegedly taken part in terrorist activity “many times before”, was among the attackers who laid siege to a shopping mall in Nairobi.
“From the information that we have, two or three Americans [were involved], and I think so far I have heard of one Brit … a woman … and I think she has done this many times before,” she told the PBS NewsHour programme.
The announcement has fuelled speculation over the involvement of British terrorism suspect Samantha Lewthwaite.
Ms Lewthwaite is the widow of bomber Germaine Lindsay who was involved in the 7th July bombings in London back in 2005 which killed 26 people. She lived in Aylesbury with her husband before disappearing in 2007.
Lewthwaite was known to be in east Africa and is wanted by Kenyan police over alleged links to a terrorist cell that planned to bomb the country’s coast.
Whitehall officials were unable to confirm the information at this point in time.
At a press conference in Pakistan, home secretary Theresa May said: “I’m aware that there have been reports of a British woman being involved, but until we have seen the investigations completed, it is not possible to give further details to confirm or deny that issue.”
Shots and explosions were still being reported on Tuesday in the Kenyan capital despite official claims that the crisis has been resolved.
Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by al-Shabab, an Islamist group based in neighbouring Somalia, which is part of the al-Qaeda network.
Ludovic Caritey
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