Kenyan Mall Attack: The Latest News

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Wednesday in Nairobi, members of the Kenyan Sikh community gathered to cremate a grandmother and son who were killed when terrorists took over the Westgate Mall.

Kabir Dhanji /EPA/Landov

Here's a quick look at where things stand in Nairobi, Kenya, where terrorists claiming to be part of the Somalia-based al-Shabab organization attacked a shopping mall on Saturday and then kept security forces at bay until late in the day on Tuesday:

— Deaths. The official count remains where it was as of Tuesday evening in Nairobi, when President Uhuru Kenyatta said there had been 61 civilians, 6 security officers and 5 terrorists killed.

— But Could More Be Dead? Kenyan Interior Minister Ole Lenku told reporters Wednesday that he believes any bodies left in the rubble of the Westgate Mall are those of terrorists, not civilians.

At the other end of the spectrum, The Associated Press says, "In a series of tweets from a Twitter account believed to be genuine," someone claiming to represent al-Shabab said there were 137 dead civilians in the wreckage of the mall. Government spokesman Manoah Esipisu told the AP that al-Shabab "is known for wild allegations and there is absolutely no truth to what they're saying."

— Search, Investigation Continue. "Investigators and bomb-disposal experts on Wednesday began sifting through the wreckage of an upscale shopping mall here in an effort to recover bodies and learn more about the Islamist militants," The Washington Post writes.

— U.S., Britain And Israel Assist. Manoah Esipisu, the government spokesman, "told reporters on Wednesday that specialists from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were involved in the forensic investigation," The New York Times reports. "Israeli and British experts were also on the scene. The forensic examinations would help to determine the nationalities and identities of the militants as well as the victims."

— British Woman Involved? "It was unclear whether intelligence reports of American or British gunmen would be confirmed," Reuters writes. "Al-Shabab denied that any women took part, after British sources said the fugitive widow of one of the 2005 London suicide bombers might have some role." President Kenyatta said Tuesday that 11 terrorists had been taken into custody.

— Americans Involved? "U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday there had been no verification that Americans were involved in a deadly attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya," Reuters says.

— Questions. From Nairobi, NPR's Gregory Warner reports that "as Kenya began three days of national mourning, questions swirled about why Kenyan authorities took so long to respond to the crisis, whether some terrorists had escaped with fleeing shoppers, and who exactly were the terrorists involved."

We'll update as more news comes in.

Kenyan Crisis Continues, Death Toll May Rise

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These Kenyan police officers were taking cover Monday outside the Westgate mall in Nairobi.

Simon Maina /AFP/Getty Images

Although the Kenyan government claims to be in control of the situation and in the "last stages of the security operation," more shots have been heard at the upscale mall in Nairobi where dozens of people have been killed since Saturday's attack by Islamist militants.

It's wasn't clear as morning turned to afternoon Tuesday in Kenya whether the four-day-old crisis was finally almost over or likely to drag on.

There was also ominous news from The Associated Press, which reports being told that "Nairobi's city morgue is preparing for the arrival of a large number of bodies of people killed in the Westgate Mall terrorist attack."

The wire service adds that:

"Morgue employees were dressed in smocks early Tuesday, though no bodies had been delivered. The official death toll from the mall attack stood at 62. Most of those bodies were already taken to the morgue, either directly or from hospitals."

From Nairobi, NPR's Gregory Warner said on Morning Edition that it seems almost certain that the death toll will be rising. He also reported that authorities believe a few American and British nationals may have been among the al-Shabab militants responsible for the attack.

Early Tuesday on 'Morning Edition': NPR's Gregory Warner reports from Nairobi

Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohammed has told the PBS NewsHour that the foreigners may include the so-called White Widow: Samantha Lewthwaite of Great Britain, who moved to Kenya in 2007 with her three children. She is, the BBC adds, "the widow of one of the men who carried out attacks on London's transport system on 7 July 2005."

Related report on Morning Edition: Militant Group Al-Shabab Evolves With Help From Al-Qaida.

We'll update with news from Nairobi as it comes in. The local time in the Kenyan capital is seven hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast.