As it emerges that many of the terrorists were shamefully British and American, a former British marine emerged as a hero of the Nairobi siege after he was credited with saving up to 100 lives.
The ex soldier was having coffee at the Westgate mall when it was attacked by Islamists on Saturday.
With a gun tucked into his waistband, he was pictured helping two women from the complex.
His story emerged as sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from inside the mall early today as Kenyan security forces battled Al Qaeda-linked terrorists into a fourth day.
Despite Kenyan police assurances that they had taken control of the building, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 hostages were still being held by a band of attackers, possibly as many as 13.
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The former soldier is said to have returned to the building on a dozen occasions, despite intense gunfire.
A friend in Nairobi said: ‘What he did was so heroic. He was having coffee with friends when it happened.
‘He went back in 12 times and saved 100 people. Imagine going back in when you knew what was going on inside.’
Sources said the soldier was in the Royal Marine and now lives in Kenyan. He cannot be named for security reasons.
The British military regularly train and operate out of Kenya, and have been involved in tracking UK citizens involved with hardline Islamists in Somalia and Yemen.
Shielded child
In a separate incident another hero Brit shielded a child from certain death as terrorists opened fire on terrified victims of the Nairobi mall massacre.
Dad of two Simon Belcher, 48, was blasted by crazed Muslim fanatics seconds after grabbing a four-year-old Kenyan boy to safety but the bullet narrowly missed his vital organs.
Wife Amanda, who was with him at the time, wrote later on Facebook: "Simon is okay, making silly jokes, tired, sore, but we were so very, very, very lucky.
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The couple had just arrived at the mall when the attack that has claimed 61 civilians and six security officers began.
As deafening grenade blasts and machine gun fire echoed around the six storey building, Simon and Amanda, whose two children Sebastian and Phoebe attend boarding school in South Africa, hid under a car on the top floor with the child.
But al-Shabaab terrorists spotted them and opened fire, hitting Simon in the arm and stomach.
The safari tour operator, who is from Perth, was yesterday recovering in the city's Aga Khan Hospital.
A close friend of the couple, who asked not to be named, said: "When the firing started he got underneath a car.
"He was shielding a four-year-old Kenyan child who was also hiding there.
"They were all hidden in the top car park until the military began firing at the al-Shabaab militia.
"The terrorists then all got under cars to escape the gunfire and that's when they spotted Simon underneath a vehicle.
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