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Ahmed Hassan Abukar (1993 – 21 September 2013) also known as Khattab al-Kene, was a Somali mass murderer and al-Shabaab militant who perpetrated the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack with three other members of al-Shabaab. The attack left 67 civilians and police dead and left a further 173 injured. All four attackers were killed, including Abukar.
Khattab al-Kene | |
|---|---|
 Khattab al-Kene, as seen in the supermarket of the Westgate shopping mall during the attack. | |
| Born | 1993 Kakuma, Kenya |
| Died | 21 September 2013 Westgate shopping mall, Nairobi, Kenya |
| Body discovered | 24 September 2013 |
| Nationality | Kenyan, Somali |
| Organization | Al-Shabaab |
| Known for | Westgate shopping mall attack |
| Motive | Islamic terrorism |
| Details | |
| Location(s) | Westgate shopping mall, Nairobi, Kenya |
| Killed |
|
| Injured |
|
| Weapons | AK-47 rifle, grenades |
Life
editHe was born in 1993 in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya, where he spent much of his early life. Growing up in the sprawling camp, Abukar developed a close friendship with Mohamed Abdinur Said,[1] another future attacker in the Westgate Mall siege.
Entry into Kenya
editIn the months leading up to the Westgate attack, Abukar and his co-conspirators devised a plan to enter Kenya undetected. On July 16, 2013, Abukar traveled from Mogadishu to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda via East African Express. The choice of Entebbe as an entry point was strategic; it allowed the attackers to avoid the more stringent security measures at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.[2] In the weeks leading up to the assault, Abukar played a critical role in the logistical preparations. On September 6, 2013, just two weeks before the attack, he and another attacker, Mohamed Abdinur Said, visited a mechanic in Buruburu, Nairobi, where they purchased a vehicle that would later be used in the operation.[3][4]
Attack
editOn 21 September 2013, al-Kene and three other heavily armed men drove to the front entrance of the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.[5] The four men split into pairs, and al-Kene went into an unknown location within the mall, where they immediately began to shoot at shoppers in their vicinity.
A short time later, all four men regrouped and entered a supermarket, where al-Kene and others were captured on CCTV shooting at civilians. The men, including Nabhan, stayed in the supermarket for the rest of the shooting.[6] All four men were later killed.[7]
In the aftermath of the attack, Kenyan authorities, working with international partners, conducted an in-depth investigation. Forensic evidence, including DNA analysis of Abukar’s remains, helped confirm his identity and involvement in the attack. Investigators also pieced together the attackers’ movements through phone logs and other communication data, shedding light on the coordination between Abukar and other members of the terrorist network. Following the attack, on October 2013, he was identified as an American by Kenyan investigators,[8][9] but following an inquiry assisted by the FBI, his identity was found to be Ahmed Hassan Abukar[10]
See also
edit- Omar Nabhan, another perpetrator of the attack
References
edit- ^ "Westgate Mall attacker lived in Somali refugee camp, Kenyan officials say". PBS News. 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "Westgate terrorists: The untold story". Nation. 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "How the terrorists left Eastleigh for Westgate". Nation. 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "Vital clues in car that was to burn outside Westgate Mall". Nation. 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ Daniel, Douglass K. (21 September 2013). "39 people killed in Kenya mall attack claimed by Somali militants; hostages still held". The Washington Post. Associated Press. p. 2. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
- ^ Petrecca, Laura; Bhatti, Jabeen (Associated Press) (21 September 2013). "39 die in Kenya mall siege; hostages still held". USA Today.
- ^ Jason Straziuso (13 December 2013). "NYPD report on Kenya attack isn't US gov't view". Associated Press, Yahoo News. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ Lacey-Bordeaux, Emma (2013-10-06). "Kenya identifies mall attackers, including American". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ "ANALYSIS OF AL-SHABAAB'S ATTACK AT THE WESTGATE MALL IN NAIROBI, KENYA" (PDF). NYPD (via AllAfrica). November 1, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ McConnell, Tristan (2024-10-07). "'Close Your Eyes and Pretend to Be Dead'". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2024-10-05.