Kenya death toll reaches 62, 170 injured

An explosion and bursts of gunfire were heard coming from the complex on Tuesday morning as speculation grew that the operation was nearing its end.

At least 62 people have been killed with more than 170 injured.

Meanwhile, Kenya's foreign minister said "two or three" Americans and a British woman were among the attackers.

In an interview with the US TV programme PBS Newshour, Amina Mohamed said the Americans were 18 or 19 years old, of Somali or Arab origin, and lived "in Minnesota and one other place".

She said the Briton was a woman who has "done this many times before".

Mohamed appeared to contradict earlier comments from Kenya's interior minister, who suggested that all the attackers were men - though some may have been dressed as women.

The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Nairobi says Mohamed's remarks have fuelled media speculation about the possible involvement of Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of one of the men who carried out attacks on London's transport system on 7 July 2005.

The Kenyan Red Cross has told the BBC that 63 people remain unaccounted for.

Early on Tuesday a Kenyan officer at the scene said he believed there could be two or three attackers left inside the building.

Kenyan officials said earlier that three "terrorists" had been killed, and that 10 people had been arrested.

The Somali Islamist al-Shabab movement has said it carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia.

Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku told the BBC late on Monday that the operation would continue overnight, but stressed it was in its final stages.

"The terrorists could be running and hiding in some stores, but all floors now are under our control," he said. "There is no room for escape."

He said it was "unlikely" that any hostages were still in the building.