Death toll rises to 147 in Kenya's Garissa University College attack

The number of people killed in the gun attack on a university in north-eastern Kenya has risen to 147, government officials have said.

They added that the operation to secure the Garissa University College campus had now ended, with all the four attackers killed, reported the BBC.

About 587 students managed to escape the attack, 79 of whom were injured.

Reports claimed that the masked gunmen were wearing suicide vests and were armed with AK-47s.

Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery said that the militants "exploded like bombs" as the siege ended. Some officials were wounded by shrapnel.

However, it is unclear if the militants detonated their suicide vests as police approached or they went off on their own after being hit by bullets.

Meanwhile, an overnight curfew has been imposed in parts of the country.

Islamist terror group Al Shabab had claimed responsibility for the attack. The outfit had earlier said that it was holding Christian students hostage and releasing those who were Muslims.