Share

SAS soldier saved lives in Nairobi attack

A heavily-armed man seen working with Kenyan forces and helping victims during the Nairobi attack this week was a member of Britain's special forces, British media reported on Thursday, citing officials.

"Without this British special forces soldier, many more lives would have been lost," the Daily Mirror quoted a senior British military source as saying.

"His selfless action will be remembered by those he rescued and privately celebrated and acknowledged by his colleagues," the military source said.

The paper said the man was part of a small "liaison" team embedded with Kenyan special forces.

Former special forces soldier Chris Ryan was quoted in the paper as saying the man was "out shopping" when the attack started.

The Times said he is a "long-serving member" of Britain's elite SAS (Special Air Service).

Pictures of the man, who wore jeans, a purple jumper and a balaclava, showed him rescuing survivors. He was wearing body armour, holding an assault rifle and carrying a pistol.

The British government does not comment on special forces.

Five gunmen with the Al-Qaeda-linked Somali militant group Al-Shabaab attacked the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi on Tuesday, killing 21 people.

Kenya on Wednesday said the attack was over and all five assailants were dead.

Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 295 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 415 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.99
-0.4%
Rand - Pound
23.99
-0.4%
Rand - Euro
20.52
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.37
-0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.5%
Platinum
904.37
+0.8%
Palladium
1,014.65
+1.3%
Gold
2,209.01
+0.7%
Silver
24.67
+0.1%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,311
+0.9%
All Share
74,499
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,075
+2.5%
Industrial 25
104,076
+0.8%
Financial 15
16,473
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE