High-end complex in Nairobi under 'attack,' police say

Gunfire and an explosion have been reported at a high-end complex in Kenya‘s capital Tuesday afternoon in what authorities are calling an “attack incident.”

Al-Shabab, an extremist group based in neighboring Somalia, has claimed responsibility for the attack and said its members are still fighting inside, The Associated Press reported. The al-Qaida-linked group made the announcement via its radio arm, according to AP.

An eyewitness who identified himself as Nelson and said he works as a driver told the AP he hid in a fridge after hearing shooting inside the hotel complex.

“I found my colleagues running everywhere. Everybody was just running everywhere, so I went to our office,” Nelson told the AP. “I hid myself in the fridge, yeah. I’ve been in the fridge.”

Video from the scene in Nairobi’s affluent Westlands neighborhood showed vehicles ablaze and people being carried away. An upscale hotel called the DusitD2, which is popular among foreigners, is located in the modern complex that police say was under attack.

“We wish to confirm that there has been an attack incident along 14 Riverside Drive. The area has since been cordoned off,” the Kenya Police Service, an arm of the country’s National Police Service, said via Twitter.

The National Police Service said via Twitter that it has “specialized units” on scene to “engage the attackers.”

Police spokesman Charles Owino told The Associated Press that officers from the anti-terrorism unit have been deployed to the scene.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.