NAIROBI, KENYA (September 22, 2013) – Reports are coming in that as many as 5 Sikhs were killed by the Terrorists and many more injured including Satpal Singh who is Pavraj Singh’s cousin.
Pavraj ‘Pablo’ Singh Ghataurhae had been reported as one of the victims killed by al-Qaeda linked Somalian terrorist group al-Shabab during their attack on Westgate Mall in Nairobi Kenya today.
“My father was sitting down for coffee with his brother when they heard gunfire coming from the street,” said a Kenyan Sikh, who rushed to the mall and later joined volunteers taking out the dead. “They immediately hit the ground and then heard three loud explosions. The people at the next table were all shot and died.”
After three-quarters of an hour, the Sikh brothers and their father managed to escape through a delivery entrance to the restaurants. Other diners were not so lucky, running into the main section of the mall only to find themselves confronted by more gunmen who had forced their way through the Shopping Centre’s principal entrance.
Armed gunmen faced off with Kenyan police and soldiers inside an upscale Nairobi shopping mall early Sunday, hours after brazenly gunning down shoppers, diners and more. On Saturday afternoon, the terrorists had freed all Muslims and began killing the non-Muslims present.
Satpal Singh, 36, another Sikh who was in a cafe on the mall’s top floor, said he ran downstairs when he heard the gunfire and was shot at near the mall’s main exit.
“A Somali guy shot at me. The guy who shot me was carrying a rifle, an AK-47.”
39 people, including Pavraj Singh, women, and other children were declared dead while another 293 people were injured.
Shocked people could be seen running away from the Westgate centre clutching children, while others crawled along walls to avoid bullets. “The gunmen tried to fire at my head but missed. At least 50 people were shot. There are definitely many casualties,” mall employee Sudjar Singh said.
“I saw a young boy carried out on a shopping cart, it looked like he was about five or six. It looked like he was already dead, he was not moving or making any noise.”
Vehicles riddled with bullet holes were left abandoned in front of the mall as police instructed local residents to stay away.
Sikhs from Kenya have asked for all Sikhs worldwide to do simran for the large number of fatalities in this weekends terrorist attack which is still ongoing.