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LAHORE sri lanka
LAHORE, Pakistan – A team of heavily armed gunmen, some traveling in rickshaws, ambushed Sri Lanka's national cricket team Tuesday as it arrived for a match, killing six police guards and wounding seven players. The brazen attack heightened fears that Pakistan is becoming increasingly unstable.
The assault bore striking similarities to last year's three-day hostage drama in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.
Working in pairs, the attackers in Lahore carried walkie-talkies and backpacks stuffed with water, dried fruit and other high-energy food — a sign they anticipated a protracted siege and may have been planning to take the players hostage.
The bus sped through the ambush, but the gunmen's preparations indicated they may been planning to hijack the vehicle, Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik told The Associated Press. None of the gunmen were killed and all apparently escaped into this teeming eastern city.
Even though the bus was peppered with 25 bullet holes, none of the cricket players were killed. The attack was among the highest-profile terrorist strikes on a sports team since the 1972 Munich Olympics, when Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes.
In addition, by targeting not only a major Pakistani city but also the country's most popular sport, the attack was sure to resonate throughout the region, where cricket has been an obsession since it was introduced by the British during the colonial era.
In targeting the sport, the gunmen were certain to draw international attention to the government's inability to provide basic security as it battles militants linked to al-Qaida and the Taliban and faces accusations that it is harboring terrorists.
The attack ended Pakistan's hopes of hosting international cricket teams — or any high profile sports events — for months, if not years. Even before Tuesday, most cricket squads chose not to tour the country for security reasons. India and Australia had canceled tours, and New Zealand announced Tuesday it was calling of its December tour.
Besides the six police officers, a driver of a vehicle in the convoy was also killed, officials said. Seven Sri Lankan players, a Pakistani umpire and a coach from Britain were wounded, none with life-threatening injuries.
Malik did not speculate on the identity of the attackers, but said Pakistan was "in a state of war" and vowed to "flush out all these terrorists from this country."
Pakistan has a web of Islamist militant networks, some with links to al-Qaida and the Taliban, which have staged other high-profile strikes in a bid to destabilize the government and punish it for its support of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
The convoy transporting the Sri Lankan team and cricket officials was surrounded by police vehicles at the front, rear and side, but traveled the same route each day of the five-day test match against Pakistan's national team, according to Malik. The attack occurred on the third day of play just before 9 a.m.
The assailants struck at a traffic circle about 300 yards from the Gaddafi Stadium in downtown Lahore, firing at least one grenade and a rocket as well as repeated automatic weapon rounds from a white car, before other gunmen attacked from three other locations, witnesses and officials said.
Lahore police chief Haji Habibur Rehman said the attackers arrived at the scene in motorized rickshaws and two cars, and police later seized a large cache of weapons abandoned in one of the rickshaws and elsewhere near the scene.
The arsenal displayed for journalists included rocket-propelled grenades, pistols, 25 hand grenades, submachine guns and plastic explosives.
Despite the onslaught, the bus carrying the Sri Lankan players did not stop, speeding through the hail of bullets and into the stadium, likely saving many lives.
As the players ducked, shouting "Go! Go!" driver Mohammad Khalil said he maneuvered the bus, pocked with bullet holes and its windshield shattered, into the stadium.
Bloodied players were helped off the vehicle and Sri Lankan team captain Mahela Jayawardene shouted: "Get more ambulances in here! Get more ambulances in here," according to Tony Bennet, an Australian cameraman covering the match.
At the traffic circle, gunmen fought a 15-minute battle with police. Pakistani TV footage showed at least two pairs of gunmen with backpacks firing on the convoy from a stretch of grass, taking cover behind a monument.
"These people were highly trained and highly armed — the way they were holding their guns, the way they were taking aim and shooting at the police," said Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, adding that they "used the same methods... as the terrorists who attacked Mumbai."
One militant group likely to fall under suspicion is Lashkar-e-Taiba, the network blamed for the Nov. 26-28 Mumbai attacks, in which 10 gunmen targeted luxury hotels, a Jewish center and other sites, killing 164 people.
The group has been targeted by Pakistani authorities since then, and its stronghold is in eastern Pakistan.
In the past, India and Pakistan — who have fought three wars since 1947 — have often blamed each other for attacks on their territories.
While some politicians and retired generals, along with ordinary Pakistanis, hinted at an Indian hand in the Lahore attacks, government leaders and security chiefs did not. Any high-level allegations like that would trigger fresh and possibly dangerous tensions between the countries, already running high following the Mumbai attacks.
There were also no indications that authorities in Pakistan or Sri Lanka suspected Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger separatist rebels, who are being badly hit in a military offensive at home and have staged scores of terror attacks in the past.
Rehman, the Lahore police chief, said the 12-14 assailants resembled Pashtuns, the ethnic group from close to the Afghan border, the stronghold of al-Qaida and the Taliban. He said officers were hunting for them.
U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told reporters in Washington that the United States condemned "this vicious attack on innocent civilians but also on the positive relations that Pakistan and Sri Lanka are trying to enjoy."
The most seriously wounded cricket official was umpire Ahsan Raza, who underwent an operation after being shot in the abdomen, a medical official said.
Two Sri Lankan players — batsmen Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana — suffered bullet wounds and were treated in a hospital, said Chamara Ranavira, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan High Commission. Paranavitana was grazed by a bullet in the chest, and Samaraweera has a bullet wound in his thigh, he said. The team traveled home to Sri Lanka later Tuesday.
Cricket's governing body said it would review Pakistan's status as co-host of the 2011 World Cup
International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the council will meet in Dubai next month to discuss whether to redistribute World Cup matches among India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the competition's other co-hosts.
___
Associated Press Writers Krishan Francis and Ravi Nessman in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Zarar Khan and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, and Babar Dogar in Lahore contributed to this report.
India asks for Dawood, Masood Azhar's head
New Delhi: India has asked Pakistan to hand over gangster Dawood Ibrahim and terrorist leader Maulana Masood Azhar for their suspected involvement in the Mumbai terror attack.
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Dawood Ibrahim (wanted in 1993 mumbai blast) |
Maulana Mazood Azhar (Maulana Masood Azhar is the President of the JeM) |
Dawood, India’s most wanted criminal, is suspected to have helped the LeT terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 27.
Azhar, founder of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad, is on India's most wanted list of people it accuses of terrorism.
India freed Azhar from prison in exchange for passengers on a hijacked Indian Airlines flight in 1999.
Sources tell CNN-IBN Shahid Malik, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, was summoned to the External Affairs Ministry on Monday and told that ties with his country’s would suffer if India’s demands are not met.
48 hrs Ultimatom : No Action no Reaction from PAK
The smiles didn't take away from the tough line. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's message to Pakistan's new government was blunt. "We talked at length about the importance of Pakistan taking its responsibility to deal with those who may use Pakistan territory even if they are non-state actors."
Rice also reflected on the nature of the attack, and she was clear Pakistan needs to act now
Due to the presser from America and India, finally Pakistan government had agreed attack on lashkar and few other terrorist organization and to support India in the Mumbai attack. America had given the ultimatum of 48 hours on 6th December 2008 and that time is got over. Now what will be America’s and India’s action against Pakistan.
November 2008 Mumbai attacks
Location |
Mumbai, India |
Date |
26 November 2008, 9:20 Pm – 29 November 2008 |
Attack type |
Bombings, shootings, hostage crisis |
Weapon(s) |
RDX, AK-47, AK-56 and grenades |
Deaths |
174 |
Injured |
293 |
Suspected perpetrator(s) |
Controversial; suspects include many terrorist outfits of Pakistan origin- the previously unknown Deccan Mujahideen, the Indian Mujahideen Lashkar-e-Taiba, Dawood Ibrahim, and Al Qaeda |
Number of participant(s) |
Unclear, sources say between 10 and 25 |
Defender(s) |
Mumbai Police, Anti Terrorist Squad, MARCOS, National Security Guards. |
The November 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of ten coordinated attacks which began across Mumbai (Bombay), the largest city in India and the country's financial capital, on 26 November 2008 and ended on 29 November 2008 when Indian security forces finally regained control of all attack sites. At least 174 people including at least 34 foreign nationals, have been confirmed dead and at least 293 have been injured. Eight attacks took place in South Mumbai: at the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station; at two five-star hotels: the Oberoi Trident at Nariman Point, and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower near the Gateway of India; at the Leopold Cafe, a popular tourist restaurant in Colaba; at the Cama Hospital; at the Nariman House Jewish center; at the Metro Adlabs movie theatre; and at the Mumbai Police Headquarters where at least three high-level officers, including the chief of the Anti Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra, were killed by gunfire. There was also an explosion at Mazagaon docks in Mumbai's port area. The tenth incident involved a taxi blast at Vile Parle near the airport but it is uncertain whether this is connected with the South Mumbai attacks.
A previously unknown organization identifying itself as the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility by e-mail sent to news organizations. The email, sent from a Russia-based email address, originated in Pakistan.
However, the affiliations of the attackers have not been confirmed. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the attacks probably had "external linkages", believing that the attack could not have occurred without the help of the Pakistani government. According to police reports, the one terrorist who was captured alive disclosed that the attackers belonged to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba Islamist group, which may have severe consequences for India–Pakistan relations. However, Pakistan denied supporting any terrorist organization, and considers all terrorists as having no religion at all. The Indian Mujahideen terrorist group had also threatened in September 2008 to carry out bombings at sites in Mumbai According to some news reports, a militant holding hostages at the Oberoi told an Indian TV channel that they wanted all 'Mujahideen' in Indian prisons released before they released their hostages. He also indicated that there were seven terrorists holding hostages at that location. Other reports indicate that this demand was made through a hostage at the Mumbai Chabad House, in a call to the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. Experts have conflicting views as to whether Al Qaeda played a role in the attacks. A few Pakistani commentators have suggested Indian domestic terrorism was behind the attacks.
After two days of gunfire and explosions, the attack was incorrectly reported to have ceased as of the early morning of 28 November in Mumbai. The fires were out and soldiers were leading hostages and holed-up guests to safety and removing bodies of those killed in the attacks. Nariman House and the Oberoi Trident were cleared of hostages by Indian commandos. Five hostages were killed at the Jewish center. Later news reports indicated that there were still two or three terrorists in the Taj, with explosions heard and gunfire exchanged. Fires were also reported as having been caused at the ground floor of the Taj with plumes of smoke arising from the first floor. Severe damage has been reported to the Taj, with a dome, and parts of the Heritage Wing of the Taj reported to have been destroyed. National Security Guards action resulted in the conclusion of the Taj encounter, with three terrorists reported killed.
The attacks have damaged India's already strained relationship with Pakistan. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik on 1 December 2008 to lodge a formal protest over Pakistan's failure to curb terrorism emanating from its soil.
Contents
- 1 Locations
- 2 Chronology of events
- 2.1 Entry into India
- 2.2 At the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel
- 2.3 At the Oberoi Trident
- 2.4 At Nariman House
- 3 Responsibility
- 3.1 Confession of a captured terrorist
- 4 Casualties
- 5 Aftermath
- 6 Reactions
- 6.1 Security services
- 6.2 Muslim Council refuses to bury militants in India
- 6.3 Strong Nationalism among general public
- 6.4 Criticism of politicians
- 6.5 India Inc demand guns
- 6.6 Resignations
- 6.7 Pressure mounting on Pakistan
- 7 Criticism of the Anti-Terrorist Operation
- 8 Media coverage
- 9 International support for investigations
Locations
Location |
Type of attack |
Casualties |
Rescued |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station |
Shootings; grenade attacks. |
at least 10 |
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| Leopold Cafe, Colaba |
Shootings, grenade explosion. |
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| Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel |
Shootings; six explosions; fire on ground, first, and top floors; hostages; RDX found nearby. |
|
around 250 |
| Oberoi Trident hotel |
Shootings; explosions; hostages; fire. |
24 |
143 |
| Metro Cinema |
Shooting from carjacked police jeep |
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| Cama Hospital |
Shootings; hostages. |
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| Nariman House (Mumbai Chabad House) |
Siege; shootings; hostages. |
6 |
9 |
| Vile Parle suburb, North Mumbai |
Car bomb blast. |
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| Mazagaon docks |
Explosion; boat with armaments seized. |
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| Girgaum Chowpatty |
1 terrorist killed and 1 arrested by a team from the Gamdevi police station. |
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Chronology of events
Police looking for terrorists outside Colaba.
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years, and Mumbai has been the target of many of these attacks. Prior to the November attacks, there were advance warnings received by the owner of the Taj Mahal hotel, as well as India's coast guards. Many of the terrorists involved in this attack are believed to have arrived in the city by water via light, inflatable boats that were dropped off from a larger vessel anchored off port.All the terrorists were muslims.
One such event was detailed later on at 8:10 pm IST on November 26: a boat carrying around eight young men with several large bags docked at Macchimar Nagar, Mumbai's Cuffe Parade neighborhood, where six of the men disembarked and the rest continued sailing along the shore. When local residents asked about their occupation, the group responded that they were students. At 8:30 pm another such incident played out in Colaba, when 10 Urdu-speaking men in inflatable speedboats came ashore. They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermen to mind their business before they split up and headed two different ways; the fishermen's subsequent report to police received little response The attacks began around 9:20 pm, when two militants armed with AK-47 rifles entered the passenger hall of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, opened fire and threw grenades, killing at least ten people. Two terrorists held fifteen hostages, including seven foreigners, in the Taj Mahal hotel.
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| Facade of the Taj Mahal hotel where hostages were held |
Several motorcycles lie in a pool of blood. |
CNN reported at 11 pm that the hostage situation at the Taj had been resolved and quoted the police chief of Maharashtra state as saying that all hostages were freed; however, it was later learned that there were still hostages in the hotel. Forty people were being held as hostages in the Oberoi Trident hotel. Six blasts are reported to have taken place at the Taj hotel and one at the Oberoi Trident. The Taj Mahal Hotel was reported to be completely under government control at 4:22 am and Indian commandos killed two gunmen inside Oberoi hotel and took control of the building.
Both hotels were on fire and were surrounded by Rapid Action Force and Army personnel. About 400 Army commandos and 300 National Security Guards (NSG) commandos and 36~100 MARCOS commandos were sent to the spot. Reports emerged of terrorists receiving live feeds broadcast by television stations; feeds to the hotels were subsequently blocked. All terrorists were out of the Taj hotel, and police and firefighters were working to rescue the estimated 50 people trapped inside. Low-intensity blasts were reported in Vile Parle and a grenade attack in Santa Cruz. Two blasts were reported in the Nepean Sea Road area of south Mumbai. Local Mumbai Suburban Railway trains on the Western Railway are running, whereas those of the Central Railway are suspended. More blasts were reported at the Oberoi as the siege continued. Meanwhile, police seized a boat filled with arms and explosives anchored at Mazgaon dock off Mumbai harbour.
Interior of Oberoi Trident hotel where forty hostages were held
A number of European Parliament Committee on International Trade delegates were staying in the Taj Mahal hotel when it was attacked. British Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim (who was in the lobby when gunmen initially opened fire there) and German Social Democrat MEP Erika Mann were last heard of hiding in different parts of the building. Also reported present was Spanish MEP Ignasi Guardans, who was barricaded in a hotel room. Another British Conservative MEP, Syed Kamall, reports that he along with several other MEPs left the hotel and went to a nearby restaurant shortly before the attack. Kamall also reported that Polish MEP Jan Masiel was thought to have been sleeping in his hotel room when the attacks occurred. He did not leave his room for a long time, but he finally managed to safely leave the hotel. Kamall and Guardans report that a Hungarian MEP's assistant was shot.
Also caught up in the shooting were the President of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, while checking in at the Oberoi Trident, and Indian MP N. N. Krishnadas of Kerala, while having dinner at a restaurant in the Taj hotel
The New York Times reported that terrorists held several hostages at the Mumbai Chabad House (also known as Nariman House) in Colaba, owned by Chabad Lubavitch.[70] It was reported in the early morning of November 29 that Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg were killed with other hostages inside the house. Times Online reports about Sir Gulam Noon - MBE's experience on how he escaped the bombed Taj Mahal Hotel.
Maharashtra state home secretary Bipin Shrimali later announced that the police killed four gunmen when they attempted to flee in cars in two separate incidents, and state home minister R. R. Patil has said that nine suspects were also arrested.
The army was reported to have secured one of the hotels, and eight hostages have been freed at the Jewish outreach group. On 29 November The Times of India reported that the battle for Mumbai has ended after 60 hours of operation by Indian security forces. The final operation at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel was completed at 8:00 am on 29 November. The security forces rescued 250 people in Oberoi, 300 in Taj and 12 families of 60 people in Nariman House. A total of 172 people were reported to be killed by the terrorists.
Entry into India
Date |
Estimated Time
(+0530 UTC) |
Event |
| Nov 21 |
evening |
Ten terrorists leave Karachi, Pakistan in a boat & travel for thirty-eight hours, remaining undetected by the Indian Navy. |
| Nov 22 |
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Each of the 10 men are given 6-7 magazines of 30 rounds each plus 400 rounds not loaded in magazines , 8 hand grenades, one AK-47 assault rifle, an automatic loading revolver, credit cards and a supply of dried fruit. |
| Nov 22 |
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A separate group check in to the Taj Hotel with arms and ammunition |
| Nov 23 |
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The terrorists hijack an Indian trawler, Kuber, killing four fishermen and ordering the captain to sail to India. |
| Nov 24 |
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The terrorists kill the captain and sail to Gujarat and raise a white flag. Two coast guard officers approach and question them. They kill one of the officers and force the other to sail them to Mumbai. |
| Nov 26 |
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They reach within four nautical miles (7 km) of Mumbai and kill the other coast guard officer. They then proceed to board three inflatable speedboats and reach Colaba jetty at dusk |
| Nov 26 |
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The ten men get off at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade, three blocks away from Nariman House. |
| Nov 26 |
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Four of the men enter the Taj Mahal Hotel, two enter the Oberoi Trident, two enter Nariman House, and the other two men, Azam and Ismail, take a taxi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. |
At the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel
Date |
Estimated Time
(+0530 UTC) |
Event |
| Nov 26 |
11:00 PM |
Terrorists enter Taj hotel. |
| Nov 27 |
12:00 AM |
Mumbai Police surrounds the hotel. |
| Nov 27 |
01:00 AM |
Massive blast in the central dome, fire in the building. |
| Nov 27 |
02:30 AM |
Army soldiers arrive in two trucks and enter the front lobby. Fire spreads across the top floor. |
| Nov 27 |
03:00 AM |
Fire Engines arrive. Shootings heard inside lobby and heritage building |
| Nov 27 |
4:00 AM |
Firemen rescue people with ladders. More than 200 people evacuated |
| Nov 27 |
4:30 AM |
Terrorists reported to move from central dome to new tower |
| Nov 27 |
5:00 AM |
Commandos and Bomb squad arrive. Police step up heat. |
| Nov 27 |
5:30 AM |
Fire brought under control but terrorists holed up in new tower with 100–150 hostages. |
| Nov 27 |
6:30 AM |
Security forces say they are ready for encounter. |
| Nov 27 |
8:00 AM |
People are brought out of the lobby. |
| Nov 27 |
8:30 AM |
Another 50 people brought out of Chambers club. |
| Nov 27 |
9:00 AM |
More rounds of firing, many more people reported to be stuck inside. |
| Nov 27 |
10:30 AM |
Gunbattle reported from inside |
| Nov 27 |
12 Noon |
50 evacuated |
| Nov 27 |
4:30 PM |
Militants set fire to a room on the 4th floor |
| Nov 27 |
7:20 PM |
More NSG commandos arrive, enter hotel |
| Nov 27 |
11:00 PM |
Operations continue |
| Nov 27 |
2:53 PM |
Six bodies recovered |
| Nov 27–28 |
2:53 PM – 3:59 |
Ten grenade explosions |
| Nov 28 |
3:00 PM |
Marine commandos recover explosives from Taj. |
| Nov 28 |
4.00 PM |
12–15 dead bodies recovered from the Taj by Naval Commandos. |
| Nov 28 |
7:30 PM |
Fresh explosions and gun shots at Taj Hotel. |
| Nov 28 |
8:30 PM |
Reported that one terrorist left at the Taj. |
| Nov 29 |
3:40 AM – 4:10 AM |
Reports of five explosions at the Taj. |
| Nov 29 |
5:05 AM |
Revised estimate of one terrorist remaining. |
| Nov 29 |
07:30 AM |
Fire raging on first floor. Black smoke from second floor. Gunshots heard frequently—apparent gun battle. |
| Nov 29 |
08:00 AM |
Indian commandos state that the Taj Hotel is now under control. However they are still conducting room to room searches. People celebrate on the streets. |
At the Oberoi Trident
Date |
Estimated Time |
Event |
| Nov 27 |
6 AM |
NSG arrives, storms hotel. |
| Nov 27 |
8:40 AM |
Firing heard, Top army, navy officers arrive and take stock. |
| Nov 27 |
1:30 PM |
Two small explosions. More reinforcements enter building. |
| Nov 27 |
3:25 PM |
Some foreign hostages rescued |
| Nov 27 |
5:35 PM |
Sikh regiment arrives, fierce gunbattle. |
| Nov 27 |
6 PM |
27 hostages come out of Air India building, four foreigners taken to hospital. |
| Nov 27 |
6:45 PM |
Explosion heard. Two NSG guards, 25 army personnel suspected injured. More people rescued, in all 31. |
| Nov 27 |
7:10 PM |
1 terrorist arrested. |
| Nov 27 |
7:25 PM |
Fire breaks out on 4th floor |
| Nov 27 |
11 PM |
Operations continue |
| Nov 28 |
10 AM |
Many hostages evacuated from the Trident building. |
| Nov 28 |
3:00 PM |
Commando operations at Oberoi over, 24 dead bodies recovered. 143 hostages rescued alive. Two militants shot dead. |
At Nariman House
Date |
Estimated Time |
Event |
| Nov 27 |
7 AM |
Police began evacuating adjacent buildings. |
| Nov 27 |
11 AM |
Cross-firing between terrorists and police; one militant injured. |
| Nov 27 |
2:45 PM |
Terrorists threw grenade into nearby lane; no casualties. |
| Nov 27 |
5:30 PM |
NSG commandos arrive, naval helicopter took aerial survey. |
| Nov 27 |
11 PM |
Operations continued. |
| Nov 27 |
12 PM |
9 hostages rescued from first floor. |
| Nov 28 |
7:30 AM |
NSG commandos airdropped onto the top of Nariman house. |
| Nov 28 |
7:30 PM |
All 6 hostages including the Rabbi and his wife found killed by the terrorists. |
| Nov 28 |
8:30 PM |
NSG commandos declared the operations over, 2 terrorists killed. |
Responsibility
Responsibility for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks
According to the chief minister of Maharashtra state, Vilasrao Deshmukh, up to 25 gunmen took part in the attacks. Reporters have estimated between 10 and 25 terrorists. They looked young, in their early twenties, and wore T-shirts, black shirts, and jeans. The Guardian has reported that they seemed "cool and composed" and "in no hurry". Some witnesses have even said that they smiled and looked happy as they shot their victims. Initially, some reports claimed that there were Britons among the terrorists. However, Indian police have stated that they have no evidence to directly confirm this and they are currently investigating the British documents that the terrorists allegedly carried. The terrorists had planned the attack several months ahead of time, setting up "control rooms" in the two luxury hotels that were targeted. They knew some areas well enough to "vanish" and reappear after security forces had left. A terrorist killed at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel had on him a Mauritian identity card along with seven different credit cards, including one issued by Citibank, which may indicate that he was not Indian. A previously unknown organization identifying itself as the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility by email sent to news organizations. The New York Times has stated that international security experts "drew a blank on" the Deccan Mujahideen group, with one analyst labeling it a "front name". In September, the Indian Mujahideen had warned of future attacks. Their message said that “you are already on our hit-list and this time very, very seriously.” According to a witness, the gunmen were looking for American and British passport holders and left others alone, such as a man claiming to be Italian. However, some later reports indicate that this was not necessarily the case in general, with the attackers' aim being to kill whoever they could. The Independent has reported that "the attackers were young South Asian men speaking Hindi or Urdu, suggesting they are probably members of an Indian militant group rather than foreigners". Sky News has reported that one of the terrorists shouted, "Are you aware how many people have been killed in Kashmir? Are you aware how your army has killed Muslims?" and spoke in Urdu with what was described as a Kashmiri accent
Initially, some media reports had attributed these terrorist attacks to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group. Lashkar-e-Taiba denies any involvement. The group has rarely stated that they were responsible for any attack since the Pakistani government banned them in 2002. According to police investigators, the one captured terrorist confessed to being a Lashkar-e-Taiba member and a resident of Pakistan's Punjab area. These allegations could have severe consequences for India–Pakistan relations To halt the developing improvement of relations between Pakistan and India may have been part of the motivation for the attack. US intelligence sources are now saying that there is mounting evidence that Lashkar-e-Taiba is behind the attacks. The Times Of India reported that intelligence agencies have disclosed tell-tale evidence that the terrorist had Pakistani connections. Still, many security analysts in have said the November attacks were more likely to have been carried out by indigenous, Indian extremist groups blamed for a series of bombings earlier this year than Pakistani-linked ones.
If Lashkar-e-Taiba is involved and if the attack primarily targeted Westerners, then the attack may have a connection to al Qaeda since this would be the first time when that group has targeted Westerners specifically.[10][34] The Guardian has called speculation about al Qaeda "immediate, simplistic — and probably misleading". A St Andrews University professor quoted by The Telegraph argues that "Al-Qaeda set the blueprint for terrorist operations and now we see different people, different groups in different parts of the world, copying it." On 28 November, senior Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri released a videotaped message that did not mention the ongoing Mumbai attacks. This omission has led The Los Angeles Times to speculate that the group did not have a role.
According to some Indian news reports, Indian intelligence agencies believed that attackers came by sea to Mumbai from the Pakistani port of Karachi on the ship MV Alpha This led the Indian Navy and coast guard to begin searching ships off India's western coast. The reports that MV Alpha was involved were later dismissed after a search of the ship by the Indian Navy found no evidence of involvement, though the investigation of the ship continues. The Times of India is reporting that the Indian Coast Guard has seized a ship that was reported missing a few days ago. The fishing boat from Porbandar was reported hijacked on 14 November and it is suspected that it was used by the terrorists to get to the coast at Colaba. The captain of the boat was found dead and several crew members are missing. The Gujarat Police had said the terror strikes were similar to the Akshardham Temple attacks of 2002.
A satellite phone recovered from two dead terrorists reportedly showed calls made to Karachi before and after the attacks commenced. Also, Major General Hooda who ran the anti-terror operations has said that "In the message intercepted by us when the terrorists were interacting between Nariman House and the Taj Hotel, we found that they spoke in Punjabi language. They were trying to pretend to be from Hyderabad". Alleged terrorists Sahadullah Babbar and Imran Babbar called Indian news channel India TV and spoke to the correspondents claiming to be from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh while speaking in Urdu with a Peshawari/Pashto accent.
According to a Times of India story, the terrorists were motivated by religious zeal and specifically released a Turkish couple who said they were Muslims. The Mumbai Police had received information that some six or seven days ago, the terrorists had made a dry run. They suspect that some local people could have been involved in the attacks. An organization representing Baluchis in the U.S. has said that it suspects Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim played roles in the attacks. However, many security experts doubt that current members of the ISI were involved. The Guardian has also listed Dawood Ibrahim and other organized crime figures connected to Indian terrorists as key suspects. It quoted a security expert as saying "The latest attack on Mumbai has the stamp of Dawood Ibrahim... Definitely the people who hit Mumbai were a mixture of local guys who know the city very well, and trained, hardcore fighters who came by sea." According to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil, they had plans to kill 5,000 people.
Confession of a captured terrorist
Azam Amir Kasav, a 21 year old terrorist, was caught trying to escape in a car, at Girgaum Chowpatty Naka in Mumbai and taken to the Nair hospital. According to preliminary investigations by intelligence agencies, Azam is from Faridkot (near Multan) in Pakistan and had received arms training in Pakistan. Ammunition, a satellite phone and a layout plan of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was recovered from him. He has provided many clues to the investigation agencies and has reportedly described how they arrived at Mumbai from Karachi via Porbandar. He has reportedly said that he and other terrorists had received revolvers, AK-47s, ammunition and dried fruit, from their coordinator. Azam reportedly told the police that they wanted to replicate the Marriott hotel attack in Islamabad, and reduce the Taj Hotel to rubble, replicating the September 11 attacks in India. Kasab also told Indian police that the terrorists targeted Nariman House, where the Chabad center was located, because it was frequented by Israelis, who were targeted to "avenge atrocities on Palestinians."
It is reported that Azam told the police that he and his associate, Ismail Khan, were the ones who shot Anti-Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte. According to the police, Kasav entered the Taj posing as a student from Mauritius and had planted explosives in the room.
Azam also revealed that he and his associate stayed in Room 630 in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel where they stored ammunition and had many visitors. They had booked the room for four days using fake Mauritian identities. ATS sources indicate that blood and urine tests on Azam showed that the terrorist was heavily drugged while committing the acts of terror.
On 29 November, Kasav named his colleagues as Abu Ali, Fahad, Omar, Shoaib, Umer, Abu Akasha, Abu Ismail Dera Ismail Khan, Abdul Rahman (Bara), and Abdul Rahman. He said that they planned to mostly kill indiscriminately while singling out white foreign tourists, and Jews and sparing Muslims whenever possible. He also said that he had expected to get away with the assault. Two more names are available: Imran and Shahdullah (or Shadullah) Babar (or Babbar) mentioned above. They called an Indian TV station from mobile phones making demands and justifying their attacks, and gave their names as such. It is unclear if these names are the real names to nicknames mentioned above, or that the information emerging is still incomplete.
An Indian Muslim organization, the Indian Muslim Council, has refused to bury the nine killed terrorists involved in the attack, and is sending messages to other organizations in India to refrain from burying them.
Although not yet confirmed, Kasav is also reported to have told police that the group received help from local Mumbai residents..
Casualties
List of victims of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks
Nationality |
Deaths |
Injured |
| Indian |
141 |
256 |
| American |
4 |
2 |
| German |
3 |
3 |
| Australian |
2 |
2 |
| Canadian |
2 |
2 |
| American-Israeli |
2 |
- |
| Israeli |
2 |
- |
| French |
2 |
- |
| Italian |
2 |
- |
| Japanese |
1 |
1 |
| Jordanian |
1 |
1 |
| Cypriot-British |
1 |
- |
| Dutch |
1 |
- |
| Malaysian |
1 |
|
| Mauritian |
1 |
- |
| Mexican |
1 |
- |
| Singaporean |
1 |
- |
| Thai |
1 |
- |
| British |
- |
7 |
| Omani |
- |
2 |
| Spanish |
- |
2 |
| Austrian |
- |
1 |
| Chinese |
- |
1 |
| Filipino |
- |
1 |
| Finnish |
- |
1 |
| Norwegian |
- |
1 |
At least 172 people had been killed in the attacks and 293 wounded. Among the dead were 124 Indian civilians, 17 policemen and 31 foreigners. The breakdown of the foreigners was as follows: four Americans, two Australians, three Germans, two Canadians, two Israeli-Americans, two Israelis , two French, two Italians, one British-Cypriot, one Dutch, one Japanese, one Jordanian, one Malaysian, one Mauritian, one Mexican, one Singaporean and one Thai.
In addition, nine terrorists were killed and one was captured.
27 other foreigners of different nationalities were injured in the terror strikes and were admitted to the Bombay Hospital. Hospital sources said the injured foreigners were from Australia, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Canada, Spain, Norway, Finland, Oman, China, Japan, the Philippines and Jordan.
Andreas Liveras, a British yachting tycoon (of dual Greek Cypriot and British citizenship), was among those confirmed killed. German TV producer Ralph Burkei, and French lingerie tycoon, Loumia Hiridjee and her husband, were also among the dead. Husband and wife, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg, both of whom were hostages in Nariman House, also died during the attack, along with one American, one dual Israeli-American, one Mexican woman and three other unidentified people. The Synchronicity Foundation said a memorial was being planned for Alan Scherr and 13-year-old Naomi Scherr, who were killed at the Oberoi Hotel; they were among 25 people affiliated with the meditation center who went on the pilgrimage with Master Charles Cannon, the founder of the sanctuary in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains southwest of Charlottesville, Virginia.
According to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, 14 policemen and three NSG commandos were killed, including the following officers:
Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who headed the team investigating the politically sensitive 2006 Malegaon blasts. Karkare had also been receiving death threats recently, including a threat to bomb his residence, but it is unclear if these were related to his death.
Additional Commissioner of Police: Ashok Kamte
Encounter specialist: Vijay Salaskar
Senior inspector Shashank Shinde, who had recently been involved in investigating many of India's recent bombings.
NSG Commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan
NSG Commando Hawaldar Chandar
NSG Commando Gajendra Singh
Three railway officials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus had also been killed in the terror strikes.
The Government of Maharashtra announced Rs. 5 lakh (about 10,000 USD) compensation to the kin of those killed in the terror attacks and Rs. 50,000 (about 1,000 USD) to the seriously injured
Aftermath
Office-workers at Ballard Estate reacting to rumors of shooting at Victoria Terminus, three minutes away from the Estate
As a result of this incident, all schools and colleges, and most offices were closed. The Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange remained closed on 27 November 2008. Shooting of Bollywood films and TV series has also been halted in the city Many international airlines temporarily discontinued operations to Mumbai in the interest of passenger and crew safety.
The two remaining one-day internationals of the seven match series between the visiting England cricket team and India were cancelled. The visiting team flew home, but may return to continue the test series. However, the venue of the second India-England test match, scheduled on December 19-23, was shifted from Mumbai to Chennai. The inaugural Twenty20 Champions League scheduled from 3 to 10 December, Mumbai being one of the host cities, was postponed.
The attacks have brought into significance the issue of 379 Indian boats and 336 fishermen apprehended by the Pakistan marine agency for entering their waters. Nearly 200 of the boats have reportedly been auctioned, now recognized as a national security issue for India. On Friday Nov 28, Pakistan released 99 fishermen who were apprehended, as part of confidence building measures with India.
There were threats to blow up ITC Fortune Hotel in Navi Mumbai after Mumbai police received a bomb threat from the terrorists.
Rumours about further shootings at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus were doing the rounds in Mumbai on 28 November and were widely reported by the news channels. The Railway Police denied these rumours but stopped trains approaching CST
At the request of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Ahmad Shuja Pasha, was reported to be coming to India to share intelligence and help the investigation, but later on it was decided by Pakistani authorities that instead of Director General of the ISI, his representative will visit India to help Indian government in the investigations.
On 30 November the Minister for Home Affairs Shivraj Patil resigned, taking moral responsibility for the security lapse.[181] National Security Advisor MK Narayanan also offered to resign on the same day, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not accept his resignation. There were rumours that the chief minister of Maharashtra may also resign but it is still not confirmed.
On 1 December the Deputy CM of Maharastra R. R. Patil resigned, when National Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar asked him to tender his resignation. Patil was under tremendous pressure to resign after commenting that the Mumbai terror strikes were "minor incidents."
Reactions
Reactions to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks
In a televised address, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
said India will “go after” individuals and organizations behind the terrorist attacks, which were “well-planned with external linkages.” In addition, he said: "The well-planned and very orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high-profile targets and indiscriminately killing innocent foreigners," Singh said in a televised address to the nation Leader of the opposition L K Advani has asked the people of India to stay united during this time of emergency.
The Mumbai attacks have elicited a strong response from leaders around the world, largely expressing condemnation for the acts of terrorism and condolences for the relatives of those killed. The Congress government reportedly refused an offer of assistance from Israeli intelligence to investigate the attacks. Several Western countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, France and Canada, have advised their citizens to defer travel to Mumbai in the short term (48–72 hours).
Security services
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting will be held on Tuesday 2nd December to discuss expanding the National Security Guards (NSG) to cities outside Delhi The aim is to have permanent presence of NSG anti-terrorist squads in cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, to avoid wasting precious time traveling from Delhi.
All NSG commandos will now undergo a new module of training to learn how to deal with future anti-siege operations because the Taj terrorists were in a gun battle for 59 hours continuously.
After seeing the disparity between the quality of helmets and bulletproof vests used by NSG commandos and the police, the Police Commissioner of Pune, Satyapal Singh said his police officers need the same quality equipment as used by the NSG to reduce deaths and improve performance.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on an all party conference declared that legal framework will be strengthened in the battle against terrorism and a federal investigation agency will be set up soon to co-ordinate actions against terrorism.
The Muslim Council of India decided not to allow burial of the bodies of the nine terrorists killed during the Mumbai siege in the Marine Lines Bada Qabrastan (cemetery). The council said it was trying to send a message to all cemeteries in India that none of the bodies should be buried on Indian soil
Strong Nationalism among general public
The attack has put challenges for the Congress-led Indian government ahead of general elections, and also to persuade Pakistan to act against militants. Many general public want some kind of clear response to the attack that killed 183 people, from identifying and punishing the masterminds to trade sanctions against Pakistan, or passing harsh anti-terrorism laws within India.
Criticism of politicians
Indians criticised their political leaders after the attacks, saying their bickering and ineptness was at least partly responsible. The Times of India commented on its front page that “Our politicians fiddle as innocents die".The anger against the political class in wake of the Mumbai terror attack boiled over with slain NSG commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father literally shooing away Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan".
India Inc demand guns
The war on Mumbai has left the India Inc angry and vulnerable sectors want much more than a constable with a lathi. A meeting convened by the Karnataka government with industry heads led to strong suggestions from an industry with demand for automated guns for internal security.
Resignations
After the resignation of Shivraj Patil on 30 November 2008, P. Chidambaram was made the Union Minister for Home Affairs while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took over the Finance Ministry from the latter.
A day after Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil stepped down from his position he was replaced by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who in turn was replaced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil on 1 December 2008 quit his post after National Congress Party (NCP) and Union Agriculture Minister Chief Sharad Pawar asked him to tender his resignation. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh also offered his resignation though he would stay on till a replacement was announced.
The list of political casualties in the aftermath of the audacious Mumbai terror attacks expanded with the resignation offer by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. The ruling Congress party was in consultations with alliance partner NCP before it can decide on the new nominee for the top post in the state.
Pressure mounting on Pakistan
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik on 1 December 2008 to lodge a formal protest against Pakistan's inaction against terrorist groups operating within the country.
The Indian foreign ministry released a statement describing the actions it expects Islamabad to take. "It was conveyed to the Pakistan high commissioner that Pakistan's actions needed to match the sentiments expressed by its leadership that it wishes to have a qualitatively new relationship with India," the statement said. "He was informed that the recent terrorist attack on Mumbai was carried out by elements from Pakistan. Government expects that strong action would be taken against those elements, whosoever they may be, responsible for this outrage," it said.
The CNN-IBN reported that India has asked Pakistan to hand over gangster Dawood Ibrahim and terrorist leader Maulana Masood Azhar for their suspected involvement in the Mumbai terror attack.
Dawood, India’s most wanted criminal, is suspected to have helped the LeT terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26. Azhar, founder of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad, is on India's most wanted list of people it accuses of terrorism. India freed Azhar from prison in exchange for passengers on a hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999.
US officials fear that should the firm evidence emerge that the Mumbai terror attacks were planned and directed from within Pakistan, it would certainly escalate tension between the neighbouring countries and could also provoke an Indian military response, even strikes against militants, a media report said on Saturday. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday urged Pakistan to give its "absolute, total" cooperation in finding those responsible for last week's attacks on Mumbai.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to India on Wednesday at the request of President George W. Bush in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, the White House said on Sunday. "Secretary Rice's visit to India is a further demonstration of the United States' commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of India as we all work together to hold these extremists accountable," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement.
Sovereign nations have the right to protect themselves, US President-elect Barack Obama said, when asked if India could follow the same policy he advocated during his election campaign — of bombing terrorist camps in Pakistan if there was actionable evidence and Islamabad refused to act on it.
Criticism of the Anti-Terrorist Operation
The NSG commandos based in Mehram Nagar, Palam Airport, Delhi took 10 hours to reach the terrorists. There were 10 hours of delay after the notice of the attack until the NSG troop reached the places attacked. They were ready at 1 am but had to wait for 3 hours, until 3:15 am for an aircraft to arrive from Chandigarh, when the policy is that a plane be at Palam permanently. The NSG commandos landed at Mumbai Airport at 5:15 am, but had to wait 1 hour for the Bombay Police to arrange a BEST bus for them. They reached the Taj Mahal hotel and the Oberoi Trident hotel at 7 am, but were not given detailed maps of the hotels.
Media coverage
The Mumbai attacks highlighted the increasing importance of social media and citizen journalism in the way events are reported. Many people covered the unfolding event on websites like Twitter and Flickr, which are largely clustered under search tags such as "mumbai" and "attack" (to which Twitter adds hashtags). The day after the attacks, the Indian government asked Mumbai citizens to cease updating Twitter with live coverage of police activity. The New York Times and BBC offered live textual coverage online, as did many Indian bloggers; A map of the attacks was set up using Google Maps. The attacks have been dubbed by some journalists as "India's 9/11", a reference to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Many Indian media like NDTV.com, IBNLive.com, aaj tak, zee news, india tv etc provided streaming live video of its coverage on Mumbai terror attack.
On another front, most Pakistani media has declared a virtual war on Indian media for its “knee-jerk” finger-pointing across the border, and its unquestioning acceptance of the Indian government’s “Pakistan-link” theory..
International support for investigations
US President George Bush told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that American agencies will throw their weight behind India's investigation into the Mumbai terror attacks and demonstrate a "shared commitment" to combat terrorism.
The US sent a team of agents from its own Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist in the probe into the Mumbai attacks and American President George W Bush pledged "full support" to India in its efforts to unearth the plot behind the deadly terror strikes.While a group of FBI agents were en route to India, a second group of investigators was on alert to join the first team if necessary.
"The FBI continues to monitor the situation in Mumbai and the Counterterrorism Division is reviewing all of the information and intelligence available," bureau spokesman Richard Kolko told The Washington Post.
Australia has sent a team of Federal Police to Mumbai. A group of seven officers have arrived to study the terror attack and the modus operandi used by the militants.
Britain has sent 15 forensic experts from the intelligence services to Mumbai to help with the investigations on the attacks on India’s financial capital. A Scotland Yard team is also investigating the terror attack.
Israel had offered a forty-strong team of special operation forces and assistance in investigations
Malaysian police are investigating reports that Malaysian-issued credit cards were found in the belongings of the terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks. Malaysia will also coordinate with Interpol over reports that some of the Mumbai attackers passed themselves off as Malaysian citizens.
Blast in Assam 2nd Dec 2008 train bombing, Three killed, 30 injured
December 2nd, 2008
A map of Assam shows capital Guwahati. The incident took place in Diphu.
Guwahati, Dec 2 (IANS) Three people were killed and over 30 wounded, some of them critically, in a powerful explosion Tuesday inside a passenger train in Assam, officials said.A police spokesman said the blast went off inside a carriage of an Inter City passenger train at the Diphu railway station, about 300 km east of Assam’s main city of Guwahati.
The train was bound for Tinsukia in eastern Assam from Guwahati.
“The train was parked at the Diphu railway station when a powerful explosion went off inside one of the crowded coaches,” a railway official said by telephone requesting not to be named.
One person died on the spot and two succummbed to their injuries at a local hospital, the police official said.
“There are a large number of women and children among the casualties. The condition of at least six of them are stated to be critical,” the police official said.
“The explosion ripped apart the carriage with people tossed in the air after the blast,” Vishal Kumar, a witness who was at the railway station waiting to board another train to Guwahati, said by telephone.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. |
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