U.S denies having prior knowledge of 14 Riverside terror attack

The United States of America has denied reports that it had prior knowledge of the Tuesday afternoon terrorist attack at 14 Riverside, Nairobi, which claimed 21 lives.

In a statement to newsrooms on Thursday afternoon, the U.S Embassy further denied advising their citizens or staff to avoid the Dusit complex before to the incident.

“We deplore the spread of false information in the wake of this tragedy, which only serves to hamper ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism,” reads the statement signed by U.S Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec.

“We reiterate our deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who were killed in this craven attack and wish a quick recovery to those who were injured.  We stand shoulder to shoulder with Kenya.”

The attack left 21 people dead, tens of others injured and at least 700 safely evacuated as shots of gunfire and bomb blasts rent the air during the 18-hour period.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, in his address to the nation, said all the attackers were killed and praised the country’s joint security teams for their swift action.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since appealed for anyone with information regarding the attack to contact the police.