Kenyan Forces Claim Control Of Westgate Mall - Foreign Affairs

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) - Kenyan forces assaulted terrorists in Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Mall on Monday afternoon, killing two and claiming to take control of all floors of the building despite sporadic gunfire and the continued presence of the attackers inside.

It was unclear if any hostages

remained inside the building, but authorities expect the number to be "very, very minimal," if any remain, Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said at a news briefing.

Most had already been evacuated, he said Monday, the third day of the siege.

The Kenya Red Cross said that 62 people had died since the siege began Saturday. The agency had previously reported 69 deaths. Some bodies been counted twice, it said on Twitter.

Dark smoke that rose from the building after Monday's assault was from fires set by the gunmen to distract forces from the assault, Lenku said.

Terrorists appear to be on the run inside the mall, which Lenku said had been sealed off to prevent their escape.

"We are in charge of the situation, our people are safe," he said.

Before the assault, terrorists from the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab group were believed to have about 10 hostages on one level of the mall, security officials said.

Kenya assault raises new fears about Somali recruitment

An unspecified number of hostages then were freed overnight, the head of the Kenyan police force said.