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- Hostages are being held in several locations, the government says
- Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant group in Somalia, claims responsibility
- 39 people have been killed, and 293 are hospitalized
- "Major operation underway," Kenyan government cryptically tweets
Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Almost 24 hours after gunmen stormed an upscale Nairobi mall, spraying bullets and killing dozens, the terror wasn't over.
An unknown number of hostages were still holed up Sunday in parts of Westgate mall, Kenya's National Disaster Operation Centre tweeted.
"That is what we suspect. We cannot share any further information," the agency said.
At least 39 people have already been killed in the attack, President Uhuru Kenyatta said Saturday. He said some of his close relatives were among the dead.
Two gunmen are also dead, but more were in the fray.
Kenyan police and soldiers continued to face off with assailants Sunday. It's not clear how many attackers are left, or what they plan to do with those still trapped in the mall.
Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia,claimed responsibility for the bloodshed and vowed not to negotiate with Kenyan authorities.
The group said "all Muslims" were escorted from the mall before the attack.
"The Mujahideen are still strong inside #Westgate Mall and still holding their ground," the group tweeted late Saturday. "All praise is due to Allah!"
Its account was later suspended.
CNN security analyst: Kenya, Westerners high on Al-Shabaab's list
A day of horror
The nightmare started around noon (5:30 a.m. ET) Saturday. Gunshots rang out as shoppers picked up groceries, savored lunch and browsed through the racks at stores.
Uche Kaigwa-Okoye was sipping coffee when he heard what first sounded like a fallen table, then the continuing rat-a-tat of gunfire. As the gunshots became louder, screaming crowds headed for the exits.
Gripped by fear: Not seeing attackers was part of the terror
Some went outside, only to turn around and go back into the five-story mall after realizing bullets were flying there as well. Kaigwa-Okoye was among them, joining about 20 people who took shelter for about five hours in a women's bathroom cubicle.
"They had grenades, and it was really, really loud," he said, adding that he noticed tear gas in the corridors as well. "All of us felt like they were close."
As people texted family and friends outside the mall, word spread that nobody could be trusted. And even if the good guys could be sorted from the bad guys, the barrage of intermittent gunfire made any escape seem futile.
Sara Head, a Washington resident, experienced similar horror in the mall's parking garage. As her car pulled up, she and others heard gunfire. They crawled underneath and hid behind cars before getting into a stairwell.
Eventually, the stairwell lights went back on and the door to a nearby supermarket opened. They dashed through and past a nearby loading dock to safety.
"There was blood throughout the supermarket," Head said. "It wasn't clear if it was OK to exit."
The national disaster agency reported early Sunday morning that five "visibly shaken" hostages had been released. About an hour later, the agency cryptically tweeted about "major operations underway." What that meant was a mystery.
Foreigners injured
Most of the casualties are Kenyan, authorities said. But the mall is popular with expatriates and foreign nationals, who were among those killed and injured.
That includes two dead French nationals, their government said. And two Canadians, including a diplomat, died in the attack, the prime minister's office said.
Several American citizens were among the wounded, including Elaine Dang, a University of California, Berkeley graduate.
Dang worked as the general manager for Eat Out Kenya, which confirmed her injuries on its Twitter and Facebook pages.
The State Department said Saturday there were several Americans among the injured but none among the dead. Secretary of State John Kerry didn't offer details.
A plea for blood
At least 293 people here hospitalized at three area hospitals, tweeted Francis Kimemia, secretary to the Cabinet. The wounded range in age from 2 to 78.
Several Kenyan agencies made a plea for blood donations.
"Hospitals are appealing for for more blood, the response is incredible but more is needed," Kimemia tweeted.
Kenya's president blasted "the despicable perpetrators of this cowardly act," and said they will be brought to justice.
Kenya is no stranger to terrorism.
A 1998 bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi left 213 dead. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks. Since Kenyan forces went after the Al-Shabaab in Somalia in 2011, the group has hurled grenades at Kenyan churches, bus stops and other public places.
In a televised speech late Saturday, Kenyatta said his nation has "overcome" such attacks before, refusing to budge from its values or relinquish his security. And it will do so again, he promised.
"We shall hunt down the perpetrators wherever they run to," the president said. "We shall get them, and we shall punish them for this heinous crime."
But first, authorities will have to get to all the assailants and hostages still inside the mall.
Q and A: Al-Shabaab grew amid Somalia's lawlessness
CNN's Faith Karimi, Holly Yan and Greg Botelho reported and wrote from Atlanta; Lillian Lesposo reported from Nairobi. CNN's Michael Martinez, Chelsea Carter, Tim Lister, Nima Elbagir, Boriana Milanova, Jamie Crawford, Stefan Simons, Karen Smith and Azadeh Ansari contributed to this report.
