Mogadishu, Nov 13 (IANS): Islamist group Al Shabaab has said its fighters who attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya's capital Nairobi in September were killed in the raid, contradicting earlier reports that some of them escaped.

The Somalia based radical group made the announcement Tuesday on an Islamist website, Xinhua reported.

At least 67 shoppers and security agents were killed and 175 others wounded in the four-day siege from Sep 21.

Authorities also said security forces killed four attackers to free hostages.

"The martyrdom brigades were brothers who have volunteered to enter into enemy ranks and cause havoc before being killed by the enemy," Al-Shabaab said in a special edition of its online magazine.

This is the clearest indication from the group that its men died in the attack on the upscale shopping mall.

The Al Qaeda-linked group also denied that the attackers attempted to flee from the mall as Kenyan special forces closed in on them.