The Kenyan government came under fiꦍre Saturday amid accusations that officials ignored intelli𝓀gence reports before the Nairobi mall bloodbath last week.
A Sept. 13 report leaked to the country’s newspapers reveals both Kenyan and Israeli intelligence offici꧒als warned of a possible terror attack on the Westgate Mall.
The report had been sent to the country’sဣ army chief and foreign and defense ministers, said senior security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“There is no way one can say there was no intelligence on this attack because those reports started trickling in from late last year. And they were speꦐcific with targets including Westgate,” one top security official said.
The document indicated terrorists were 🐬planning to take over a building and “probably hold hosta﷽ges.”
Beginning Sept. 21, al Qaeda-linked terro🌟rist group al Shabaab stormed the mall and slaughtered 67 people.✱ Scores of people are still reported missing.
The𒉰 shopping center, which has long been considered a target, is frequented by expatriates an𓂃d wealthy Kenyans.
“Briefs were made to them of increasing threat of terrorism and of plans to launch simultaneous attacks ꦑin Nairobi and Mombasa at around Sept. 👍13 and 20, 2013,” according to the leaked report.
The Israeli♏ Embassy also warned Kenyan officials o🐎f a possible raid between Sept. 8 and 28.
Meanwhile, the State Department reissued a travel advisory for the country in wake of t𒅌he deadly attack. Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the move, calling it “unnecessary” and urging Wa🐻shington to withdraw it.