Hero US Navy SEALs stormed Kenyan hotel and exchanged fire with Islamist terrorists slaughtering guests and helped free survivors

  • Sources say the SEALs were called in by Kenyan Special Forces in need of back-up during the attack in Nairobi
  • Five Islamic Terrorists entered the luxury hotel armed with a grenade, guns and a bomb on Tuesday afternoon
  • US Africa Command officials have neither confirmed nor denied the presence of SEALs during the attack 
  • A British Special Air Service soldier was reportedly among those who provided backup  
  • Among the 14 victims were an unnamed British man and 40-year-old California businessman Jason Spindler 
  • All five terrorists, believed to be of Somalian Islamist group al-Shabaab, died during attack or in aftermath

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Hero US Navy SEALs reportedly jumped in to fight a group of Islamist terrorists who launched an attack on a luxury hotel in Kenya on Tuesday, killing 14 people.

Sources say the SEALs were called in by Kenyan Special Forces in need of back-up after five Islamic Terrorists entered the Nairobi hotel armed with a grenade, guns and a bomb.   

US officials have neither confirmed nor denied the presence of SEALs during the attack. It is unclear how many may have been there.  

The terror attack at a hotel and office complex on Tuesday afternoon saw four gunmen kill 14 people, including a 40-year-old California businessman Jason Spindler, after detonating car bombs outside. 

The Navy SEAL presence was first reported by a source who told The Sun they were with a British Special Air Service, SAS, member. 

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The British SAS soldier seen helping to evacuate an injured man from the hotel and office complex which came under attack from terrorists on Tuesday afternoon

Hero US Navy SEALs reportedly jumped in to fight a group of Islamist terrorists who launched an attack on a luxury hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday, killing 14 people. Sources say they were accompanied by a British Special Air Service soldier who was seen wearing what appeared to be US military-issued combat gear (above) 

Kenyan security officers search for attackers during an ongoing gunfire and explosions in Nairobi on Tuesday

Sources say the SEALs were called in by Kenyan Special Forces in need of back-up after five Islamic Terrorists entered the Nairobi hotel armed with a grenade, guns and a bomb. Kenyan security officers are seen searching for the attackers

People take cover as they follow a police officer to evacuate the upscale hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi

People take cover as they follow a police officer to evacuate the upscale hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi

Kenyan security forces walk from the scene shortly before President Kenyatta announced that the attack was over and all terrorists killed

Kenyan security forces walk from the scene shortly before President Kenyatta announced that the attack was over and all terrorists killed. US officials have neither confirmed nor denied the presence of SEALs during the attack

'(The SAS member) was there training and mentoring Kenyan forces when the shout went up, so they went in,' the insider said. 'During the operation he fired off some rounds – it's safe bet he hit his target – the SAS don't miss.

'He is a long serving member of the Regiment, there is no doubt his actions saved lives.'  

The soldier was initially rumored to be a SEAL himself because he was dressed in US combat gear with a patch worn by Team 3. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to US Africa Command for comment.  

Business Insider reported that when the outlet spoke with three US Africa Command spokespersons about the possibility that US Navy SEALs were present during the attack, none of them denied it. 

One spokesperson confirmed that US forces train 'Kenyan partner forces in a variety of tactics and disciplines', however they would not comment on the exact nature or location of the training.

'The United States provides equipment and training to Kenyan security forces, both civilian and military,' according to the US Africa Command website.  

The Pentagon says it is 'advising and assisting' unnamed countries in combating terrorist insurgencies, but is tight-lipped about details of how exactly it does that.  Secretive forces are believed to be strewn across the continent.

In 2017, a SEAL was killed while fighting alongside Somali forces against al-Shabaab in Mogadishu.

Four service members were killed in an ambush by militants in Niger last March.   

The British SAS soldier was reportedly in Nairobi to train Kenyan Special Forces when five Islamist terrorists attacked a luxury hotel complex in the city

The British soldier can be seen coordinating with Kenyan Special Service members during the horror attack on Tuesday

The SAS hero was also seen rescuing civilians from inside the hotel complex while members of the Kenyan security forces fired at the terrorists  

The terror attack at a hotel and office complex in Nairobi saw five gunmen kill 14 people, including a Briton and an American

Security forces help civilians flee the scene as cars burn behind, at a hotel complex in Nairobi

Security forces help civilians flee the scene as cars burn behind, at a hotel complex in Nairobi

Rescued: A distressed woman is taken out of the luxury hotel complex during the terror attack on Tuesday 

Rescued: A distressed woman is taken out of the luxury hotel complex during the terror attack on Tuesday 

President Kenyatta said that 14 civilians have been confirmed dead and that more than 700 people had been evacuated to safety during the attack. 

This morning, it emerged that Spindler, who survived the 9/11 terror attack on World Trade Center in 2001, was among the dead. 

He was the CEO of I-DEV International, a management strategy and investment firm that is based in the Kenyan capital. 

Spindler's brother, Jonathan, confirmed his death on Tuesday, saying: 'It's with a heavy heart that I announce that my brother, Jason, passed away this morning during a terror attack in Nairobi.

'Jason was a survivor of 9/11 and a fighter. I am sure he gave them hell.

'There are no words to describe how our family is feeling but I can say... Jason Spindler, you are and always will be an amazing son, brother and uncle.

'Rest in peace - we will miss you dearly.'

Friends reported online that Spindler was having lunch at the hotel when the attack began at 3pm.

It is not clear how long he had been living in Kenya. He was not married and did not have any children.

Friend Chris Shroeder said on Facebook after news of his death emerged: 'Jason Spindler was one of those rare men who was loved by pretty much anyone be touched in Kenya and around the world.

'He chose a life of hope and inclusion. I am grateful to have known and learned from him.'

Spindler is pictured during a trip to Puerto Rico with friends in 2013 (left) and (right), rock climbing in Nairobi 
Spindler is pictured during a trip to Puerto Rico with friends in 2013 (left) and (right), rock climbing in Nairobi

Spindler is pictured during a trip to Puerto Rico with friends in 2013 (left) and (right), rock climbing in Nairobi 

'I am sure he gave them hell': Spindler's family and friends said on Tuesday that he had been working in Nairobi to encourage emerging, third world markets. He ran an investment firm in the Kenyan capital and had previously worked as an analyst for the Salomon Brothers
'I am sure he gave them hell': Spindler's family and friends said on Tuesday that he had been working in Nairobi to encourage emerging, third world markets. He ran an investment firm in the Kenyan capital and had previously worked as an analyst for the Salomon Brothers

Jason Spindler (pictured), 40, was killed at the Dusit hotel in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi along with 13 others on Tuesday 

Friends mourned the businessman (shown far left with a group during a trip to Puerto Rico in 2017) as news of his death emerged 

Friends mourned the businessman (shown far left with a group during a trip to Puerto Rico in 2017) as news of his death emerged 

It was previously reported that an American woman was also among the dead but a State Department spokesman confirmed to DailyMail.com on Wednesday that only one US citizen lost their life.

'We can confirm that a US citizen was killed in the attack. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of this individual.

'Out of respect for the family of the deceased, we have no further comment,' a spokesman said. 

The British casualty, understood to be of dual British and South African nationality, has not been named.

Another British citizen was injured in the attack and is receiving care, the Foreign Office confirmed today.  

London-based company Adam Smith International also said two employees were killed in the attack.

Abdalla Dahir and Feisal Ahmed were killed on the terrace of a restaurant in the complex where the company has Nairobi offices, the company said in a statement.

Gunmen blasted their way into the venue - sending workers fleeing for their lives as others cowered under their desks. Pictured: Bullet holes in the windows of a restaurant inside the venue

Gunmen blasted their way into the venue - sending workers fleeing for their lives as others cowered under their desks. Pictured: Bullet holes in the windows of a restaurant inside the venue 

The Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab claimed that it was behind the attack at the complex - which includes a large hotel known as DusitD2, banks and offices. Pictured: People run for cover  

The Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab claimed that it was behind the attack at the complex - which includes a large hotel known as DusitD2, banks and offices. Pictured: People run for cover  

An injured man is evacuated from the scene of an explosion. Thick black smoke can be seen billowing from the complex behind them

An injured man is evacuated from the scene of an explosion. Thick black smoke can be seen billowing from the complex behind them

A shell-shocked woman is evacuated form the Dusit Hotel by hotel staff and security guards who try to calm her down

A shell-shocked woman is evacuated form the Dusit Hotel by hotel staff and security guards who try to calm her down

Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, which has links to al-Qaeda, claimed it was behind the attack at the DusitD2 complex, situated in Nairobi's well-to-do Westlands neighborhood, popular with many foreign expatriates.

As well as the Thai-owned luxury hotel DusitD2, the complex is home to offices of several international companies including Colgate Palmolive, Reckitt Benckiser, Pernod Ricard, Dow Chemical and SAP. 

Kenya's Citizen TV aired security camera footage that showed at least four heavily armed men in dark-colored, paramilitary-style gear.

Kenya's national police chief, Joseph Boinnet, said the coordinated assault began with an explosion that targeted three vehicles outside a bank, and a suicide bombing in the hotel lobby that severely wounded a number of guests.

Kenyan hospitals appealed for blood donations even as the number of wounded remained unclear.

A CCTV grab showing one of five suspected al Shabaab attackers who opened fire in the hotel as a suicide bomber detonated in the lobby 

A CCTV grab showing one of four suspected al Shabaab attackers who opened fire in the hotel as a suicide bomber detonated in the lobby 

CCTV showing two of the alleged attackers walking past a barrier towards the hotel wearing dark paramilitary-style gear. Al Shabaab has already claimed responsibility for the carnage 

CCTV showing two of the alleged attackers walking past a barrier towards the hotel wearing dark paramilitary-style gear. Al Shabaab has already claimed responsibility for the carnage 

Shell-shocked survivors are rushed to safety from the complex, barely-clothed, by security forces

Shell-shocked survivors are rushed to safety from the complex, barely-clothed, by security forces

An armed officer tells survivors to stay back and duck down as he tries to lead them to safety

An armed officer tells survivors to stay back and duck down as he tries to lead them to safety

A female member of staff cries after making it out of the complex. Her male colleagues and a guard console her 

A female member of staff cries after making it out of the complex. Her male colleagues and a guard console her 

Video footage from inside the hotel showed Kenyan security officers searching the building and workers emerging from hiding while gunfire could still be heard. Some climbed out a window by ladder.

One man got up from the floor where he appeared to be trying to hide under a piece of wooden paneling. 

Al-Shabaab's 2013 attack at the nearby Westgate Mall in Nairobi that killed 67 people, this one appeared aimed at wealthy Kenyans and foreigners. It came a day after a magistrate ruled that three men must stand trial in connection with the Westgate Mall siege.

Al-Shabaab has vowed retribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia to fight it since 2011. Tuesday's violence came three years to the day after al-Shabaab extremists attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia, killing scores of people.

The group has killed hundreds of people in Kenya. In the deadliest attack, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for an assault on Kenya's Garissa University in 2015 that killed 147 people, mostly students.

The latest carnage demonstrated al-Shabaab's continued ability to carry out spectacular acts of bloodshed despite a dramatic increase in US air strikes against it under President Donald Trump. 

Thailand's deputy leader says Islamist terrorists may have targeted Thai-owned hotel in Kenya in attack that claimed 14 lives 'because the food is delicious'

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister said he thought the Thai-owned hotel in Nairobi had been attacked by terrorists 'because the food is delicious'.

Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also the Defence Minister, made the comment this morning during a press briefing. 

Wongsuwan told reporters it was 'good enough' that no Thai citizens had been killed in the horrific attack in Nairobi on Tuesday. 

When asked why he thought a Thai-owned hotel had been targeted, he replied: 'I don't know. Maybe because the food is delicious.' 

The DusitD2 hotel is owned by Dusit Thani, a multinational chain which has 29 hotels and resorts in 18 countries. 

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan pictured in in Bangkok, Thailand last week

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan pictured in in Bangkok, Thailand last week

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