Friday, July 10, 2009

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Body count rises as battle for Mumbai ends

Saturday 29 November 2008

The operation to dislodge militants at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai is over and all militants have been shot dead, the city's police chief said early Saturday. Almost 200 people were killed in the attacks, according to Mumbai officials.

Special Report   Terror in Mumbai

Saturday 29 November 2008

Read our special report: 'Terror in Mumbai'

 

Mumbai gunmen 'showed no remorse'

 

Reuters  -  Commandos killed the last Islamist gunmen holed up at Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel on Saturday, ending a three-day rampage and siege that killed at least 195 people and is already being described as India's 9/11.
 
At least three militants and one trooper were killed after a running gunbattle through a maze of corridors, rooms and halls, the country's commando chief, Jyoti Krishna Dutt, told reporters crowded outside the battle-scarred 105-year-old hotel.
 
The gunmen had set parts of the hotel ablaze as they played cat and mouse with scores of India's best-trained commandos, known as the Black Cats.
 
Sniffer dogs were taken into the famous hotel and workers wearing surgical masks arrived to remove bodies. Some commandos did a final sweep of the rooms, while others boarded buses to pull out, looking exhausted.
 
Many guests had been trapped in their rooms while the battle raged around them. They have emerged to harrowing scenes.
 
"The blood, everywhere the blood," an American woman called Patricia told the NDTV news channel, choking back tears. "And when we came down to the lobby, all the hundreds and hundreds of policemen were standing there looking so fried and so sad."
 
Black streaks of soot stained the grey bricks, white balconies and red-tiled roofs of the hotel's facade.
 
The ground floor was gutted, the wood-panelled walls blackened and cracked by explosions and fire.
 
Wine glasses and soup bowls were scattered on the floor, a charred gilt chandelier broken in pieces on a carpet and shattered glass strewn throughout the Taj's boutique shops.
 
"At one time it was so magnificent. We were admiring it, sitting in the swing near the pool," Patricia said.
 
"At one moment it was just serene and sensational, and the next, it was all gone," she said.
 
Nine of the attackers were killed, a tenth caught alive. He told interrogators they wanted to go down in history for an Indian 9/11, and were also inspired by the bombing of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad in September, Times Now TV said, quoting an unidentified defence ministry official.
 
India has blamed the strike on "elements" from Pakistan, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan said the two countries faced a common enemy and it would send a representative of its spy agency to share intelligence.
 
But Islamabad backtracked from an earlier promise to send the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a move unlikely to calm Indian tempers and raise fresh questions about who is in charge of the shadowy agency.
 
FINAL BATTLEGROUND
 
The Taj Mahal was the last battleground after three days of intense fighting in various parts of the city of 18 million.
 
Several newspapers said some of the militants had checked into the Taj hotel days or weeks before the attacks, while the Times of India said they had rented an apartment in the city a few months ago pretending to be students.
 
On Friday, an army general said the gunmen appeared to be very familiar with the hotel's layout and were well trained.
 
"At times we found them matching us in combat and movement," one commando told the Hindustan Times. "They were either army regulars or have done a long stint of commando training."
 
Mumbai disaster authorities said at least 195 people had been killed and 295 wounded, the death toll rising as bodies were collected from the luxury Taj and nearby Trident-Oberoi hotels, scene of another siege that ended on Friday.
 
Well-dressed but haggard-looking guests were let back into their rooms in the Trident wing of the Trident-Oberoi on Saturday morning to collect their belongings.
 
Staff said they would re-open that wing on Wednesday but not the Oberoi wing, which was badly damaged by a long gunbattle.
 
The Trident lobby was covered in broken glass, with bullet holes in the glass stair bannisters and in the doors leading into the Opium bar. A grand piano was left unscathed, but cars parked outside were also riddled with bullet holes.
 
ENGINE ROOM
 
The attacks struck at the heart of Mumbai, the engine room of an economic boom that has made India a favourite emerging market.
 
It is also home to the "Bollywood" film industry, the epitome of glamour in a country blighted by poverty.
 
An Indian state minister said the arrested militant was a Pakistani national and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned of "a cost" if India's neighbours did not take action to stop their territory being used to launch attacks.
 
The arrested man has confessed to being a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, which has long fought Indian forces in disputed Kashmir and was blamed for an attack on India's parliament in December 2001, newspapers said.
 
But Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi struck a conciliatory note and promised full cooperation.
 
"Whoever has done this is neither your friend nor our friend," he told reporters in New Delhi. "We are not responsible for this, nor is it in our interest to get involved in something like this."
 
The attackers were armed with rifles and grenades. Some arrived by sea on Wednesday night before fanning out to attack sites popular with tourists and business executives.
 
Authorities said 18 foreigners were among the dead, including three Germans, five Americans, one Australian, a Briton, one Canadian, two French, an Israeli, an Italian, a Japanese, a Singaporean and a Thai.


 

  • 04/12/2008 16:14:19 Alert a moderator

    Forgetting

    Balwinder, it is indeed unfortunate that you have been treated with such inconsideration, however I feel the attacks in Europe has been largely "forgotten" as well by the world. It is certainly not spoken of often. And that is a dangerous thing, I think. I would also like to offer you MY condolences, as I noticed that this attack has been treated as "low-key" as well by a numbed media and people when its repercussions assuredly are grave. Had I known any Indian people I would have done the same to them, and I don't even see myself as especially compassionate. It is clear that India is subject to much of the same terrors as Europe and The USA, and it is my belief that we'd do well to stand together in the face of this threat. I hope this illustrates that there are Europeans who are understanding of what has happened, and I am ashamed of those who disregard it. I hope you get whoever is behind this.

  • 04/12/2008 05:12:26 Alert a moderator

    Terror and SoLLUTION

    Terror and solution
    A:Terrorism serves some Muslim regimes aspiration
    B;Double language:Talking softly to west
    Encouraging extremism inside against infidels
    C:Acting against extremists only when their regimes are in danger
    Shielding extremists from their victims justes
    D;What is needed?
    CHANGE OF BASICS
    Close madras's teaching extremism
    Forbid@act against hate preachers in Mosks&Media
    Accepting multicultural rights&enforce the law
    Update DAR EL ISLAM-DAR EL HARB to
    LOVE ALL HUMAN

  • 03/12/2008 14:19:41 Alert a moderator

    Mumbai attack

    I was on a tour of France with my Americans when this attack took place in Mumbai. The reaction of one of my guests was" why is CNN only covering this? Only 200 people died". I was shocked and told her it was like 9/11 and she said "oh! but 3,000 Americans were kikked!" I was too shocked to comment on this as in fact it reflects the opion of many Americans and Europeans too! not one of my colleagues who all know I am Indian even offered condolences. So now another attack in India is going to be forgotton if not already done by the International community. We in India have been suffering such attacks constantly in India and Kasmir and except for the Soviets no country even looked onto the Kashmir issue! we are under attack since 1947 by terrorists! will more people have to die before action is taken?

  • 03/12/2008 08:54:00 Alert a moderator

    I am Shoked when i think

    I don't understand why people do this.Are they getting more money?and how only few people can capture three big buildings?It is really a shoking thing.If any one of my family would be there then what?All should think in this way....

  • 02/12/2008 22:36:17 Alert a moderator

    clarification

    i had held the banner reading "All the HARDLINER political parties"; here the stress was on d religion-based parties n not on all d political parties. as these hardliners had severely criticised our martyr 'hemant karkare' for malegaon blast investigation n he had to lay down his life to prove his integrity towads his job n countrymen. let there b no political interference into the work of r forces n investigating agencies atleast in matters of national security. however at the same time i also appriciate the hardwork put in by reporters like leela jacento into the hour of crisis by patiently listening to the aggitated people around. we indian pray for relatives who lost their dear ones including d relatives of the young terrorists killed;who unfortunately failed to incorporate the supremacy of love n peace into the hearts of these young lads. god bless their souls.let the world come together by solving problems with alms n not with arms.-yuvraj korpe.

  • 01/12/2008 10:32:11 Alert a moderator

    Razza you are right

    Dear friend, i am sorry to what has happened to India and every body is sorry for it but you need to regognize the responsibility of your country in this issue because no one can understand how this could happened since India is highly protected. In stead of thinking on the improvement of the security in India, now every body is focusing on Pakistan. How to protect innocents should be the main focus. I am sorry because if India react like USA in Afganistan, innocents will die more and more. All people have the same right. The point of Kazza is not stupide. Kazza is right at 100%. Thanks

  • 30/11/2008 22:15:54 Alert a moderator

    God bless the Indian commandos and police

    I have been to the taj hotel it is a very large hotel with many openings and exits. It would be extremely difficult to clear out hostages and take out terrorists.

    The Mumbai police and commandos are true Heroes!

  • 29/11/2008 17:51:48 Alert a moderator

    How stupid point

    Your point is so stupid because without getting into the facts you are giving this kindof point, just for the final investigation and then decide wht is right and what is wrong.

  • 29/11/2008 16:00:15 Alert a moderator

    What are the Pakistanis talking about?

    There have been lots of terrorst attacks 9/11,Jaipur, Bomabay etc and now 26/11 one of the worst happennongs in the whole history of Mumbai and India.
    We know quite well that Muslims have been heavily involved, brainwashed , propulsed by International Muslim groups to perpetrate such actions all over the place to create havoc , destruction and demoralisation to peace loving people and citizens whereevr they may be and this in the beloved name of Allah! !
    Now the militants who have been killed and one who has been captured alive, has confessed he has links with Pakistan and no doubt that the well planned movement from the trainers and their involvement had been prepared well in advance . The number of heavy geared weapons and guns , artillery cannot come from a small group of rascals , miscreants who just wanted to have some fun. They are Muslims and have emanated from Pakistan who now is on the forefront to try and say they are not aware and involved in whatever way .
    These militants being brainwashed were claiming to be from Deccan Muhajedeen or what , a pure invention from the Authorities who guided them through to mislead the world .
    No stone to be left unturned and those involved severely dealt with once demythtified. Innocent lives again lost at the detriment of God!!! The authorities in India also have been lax with the invasion of Mubai by what 10-20-40 terrorists?? They should be more concerned and India as a whole should work together to avoid such things happening.

  • 29/11/2008 12:18:17 Alert a moderator

    Thank you India

    All these terrorists have accomplished is proving to the world that they consider life meaningless and that are just outright savages. They even shot into the crowd outside. What they have achieved for themselves is a status below zero. They are uncivilized. The Indian commandos removed them the face of the earth so they would be unable to do iit again. Civilization must close its ranks and purge and remove such savages ffrom the face of the earth. Thank you India and its soldiers for doing what needed to be done..

  • 29/11/2008 12:05:48 Alert a moderator

    religion

    please print my comments you are printing others why not mine do you not belive in freedom of the press are freedom of speach i personal went to a war for this FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT / FREEDOM OF SPEECH ALL OF THESE RELIGIOS ARE ALLOW TO STAD ON THEIR SOAP BOXES AND SAY JUST WHAT THEY WISH I PERSONAL HAVE NO RELIGION IT CAUSES TO MUCH TROUBLE IN THIS WORLD LOOK AROUND YOUR SELF I DONT KNOW WERE I CAME FORM I DONT KNOW WERE I AM GOING

  • 29/11/2008 10:19:18 Alert a moderator

    mumbai atacks a CONSPIRACY!

    I am a student of journalism and I’ve raising this point since I have caout up wth news about mubai attacks I did post this comment earlier on YouTube but they removed it, which I think clearly proves my point! The indians think made it all up! IT’S A CONSPIRACY, even If a Pakistani kid/child accidently enters the indian border, they kill him/her and how is it that the hostage takers came to india on a boat, and the indian navy never noticed, how stupid is this and the indinas keep on bluffing about their the power of their navy? Hahahah…Moreover the indians just want to blame Pakistanis for no reason, they weren’t sure from the beginning and till now aren’t sure how many hostage taker were there in the hotel ,but they were sure that they were Pakistanis, again how idiotic…This clearly show that it’s a conspiracy! So I need to know how many of us agree to my point?

  • 28/11/2008 22:03:53 Alert a moderator

    I visited a site and liked a comment, it say:

    This is time that the muslim need to change all the way of their thinking:

    I read other comment and article, and i felt the need to write a comment and share it with you in this site, I hope it is not arrogante:

    ---
    And i mean it, Every one.
    First i am sending my sincer condoleances to all humanity.
    second: why we all need to change the way of thinking it is because 143 killed, arround 400 or more injured and the start of this masacre are:

    1- islamist group, not proved yet likely will be
    2- 2 Giant countries if they don't use wisdome can clash and it will be a new disaster
    3- The importantes people who been killed arround 17 (UK, USA, French, Israeli Etc

    and the rest who are human maybe most of them are Indian arab, muslim do not count.

    and that is why i think every one need to change the way of thinking.

    We the human are all under attack and we do not know for sure who is behind it, we speculate.

    again my sincers condoleances to the humanity.

    Best regard

  • 28/11/2008 14:43:58 Alert a moderator

    How can Muslims be one sided and not caring for other communitie

    " Many who blames muslims thing. The growing feeling of insecurity and lose of trust of the majority of
    indian moslems in their home land.India is the home land of Indian moslems too.Accept that"
    signatory Indian Moslem.He is saying that India is the homeland of Indian Moslems too. Who is saying that it is not?But does he try to mean and say that India is not the homeland for Bharat Hindus and other communities?The very fact that Muslim terrorists are conducting these attacks and have been targeting Mumbai holding the city in siege are they Indian Moslems or are they backed by external forces most probably Muslims themselves who are well known world over to conduct such businesses for such a long time?To this Indian moslem who posted this view and to all others who have elected to live in Bharat India: Have they not thrived on this soil and succeded as any other Hindu.Millions of those Indian moslems have been given the opportunity to live successfully without any prohibition.or distress.Does he mean that Hindus or other communities,peace loving citizens need to suffer at their detriment?Our Hindu community too have the right to live in this India which Muslims are desecrating. To kill.To mortify. They should be ashamed to call themselves humans.There must be other forces behind these horrific attacks. They pretend to target the British,etc. So why choose Mumbai to carry out these attacks? They have created chaos to the most beautiful hotels in the world and it's not American,Britishor Jewish. It's bloody Indian lest he forget! If you have a grudge against them go there, NOT here in MUMBAI.
    And adding further:Do educated Muslims understand the fact that they should live and work decently where they are rooted ? This is the saddest part of it too.You seem to forget that Hindus and others' homeland is India. Accept that ! Work together as Indians , as you seem to approve?Do you.?

  • 27/11/2008 21:16:39 Alert a moderator

    Mumbai Innocent Victims

    On Thursday, one of the gunmen holed up in the Trident-Oberoi hotel told the India TV channel by phone that they wanted an end to the persecution of Indian Muslims and the release of all fellow Islamic militants detained in India.
    This is a quote from the news on Thursday --- The terrorists are saying that there is a persecution(!) of Indian Muslims and wanted a release of all fellow Islamic militants detained in India.
    These militants, as they say, are their fellow men. Therefore all of the same feather: terrorists.
    Why in the first place were they being detained ? Are they being persecuted or guilty of terror attacks or simply connected with just to blow up India? These present terror attacks have been well planned and have tried to disseminate their attacks in the whole city targeting prominent places such as the Taj , Oberoi, VT station etc. They wanted to blow the airport too. This means that this orchestrated movement has been propulsed from fertile minds to kill innocent lives and who are those who have supplied these grenades, explosive weapons, guns, and what other arsenal intended to create chaos and havoc.
    Whosoever are behind this must be laughing seeing their sick motives being actioned. These youths do not value human life as they themselves have been killed in the encounter. This means that if they do not respect their own lives how can they respect others'.
    Whatever terrorist is left and caught should be dealt with severely and all those connected with such crimes should have the utmost sentence without any pity shown to them

  • 27/11/2008 20:29:22 Alert a moderator

    Death Toll

    As the death toll in this Al Qaeda attack climbs rapidly past the hundred mark think back to what it was like for New Yorkers to have 2,783 people murdered where we live.

    And to how sucessful the 'Unilateral Cowboy Diplomacy' the hand wringers of the world have never stopped whining about has been in keeping it from happining here again.

    Time for Prime Minister Singh to saddle up ...

  • 27/11/2008 19:21:14 Alert a moderator

    Bombay under attack! Why?

    Beside the Kashmir conflict, India has been under a perennial religious,tribal and economical bloody conflicts, seldom relayed in the western media. We had a massive attacks on Muslims,Christian and poor farmers, from Indou extremist and mercenaries paid by industrial interests needeing cheap lands for industrialisation, almost on daily basis.
    I opine, that there is no need to blame oustsiders for the Bombay tragedy, too many peoples within India, are pushed daily to the limits of acceptable conditions, that generates a bloody reactions, such as the world is witnessing today!!!
    Houston,TX

  • 27/11/2008 18:25:59 Alert a moderator

    Terrorists

    It is zealots and extremists of any religion or "ism" which are the problem for humankind, not Islam per se. Insanity seems to be fairly evenly distributed across the human race - it is up to civilized people to cooperate and contain the crazy ones! I am not Muslim, yet my own religion has had its share of lunatics. Pray as if it its all up to whatever God you believe in, work as if it is is all up to us, co-operate with like-minded people.

  • 27/11/2008 15:52:49 Alert a moderator

    Mumbai

    Several world leaders you report have condemed these attacks by this group of murderous criminals.
    Why haven't we seen reports of condemnation by muslim leaders? Surely they should be outraged that these gangsters are carrying out acts of murder[a crime in any religion] in the name of their religion.

  • 27/11/2008 14:14:46 Alert a moderator

    bombay (Mumbai)

    The only ones confused are CNN and the english broadcast news media,The indians will soon sort out the situation,these broadcast media are to ignorant ,thier news panders to the uneducatd and ignorant people in thier respective countries.ps these media should remember thier own terrorist carnage in new york.i suppose nobody paniciked travelling to america..get educated .Alqueda is more intelligent than the news media ,they know thier strategey of misinformation will pander to thier ignorance

  • 27/11/2008 13:19:26 Alert a moderator

    Tragidy

    Mumabi is now a dead trap for foreigners, I am in Mumbai now and has been a nightmare to the inhabitants of this surbord, I suggest that the global village should aid the Indian forces to control this situation as many foreigners are still traped in some of the attacked hotels.

  • 27/11/2008 10:58:46 Alert a moderator

    Mumbai Attacks

    We are given to understand that the terrorists have gained access to Mumbai city by Alfa vessel and disembarked using inflatable boats to firm land. However I find it difficult to comprehend how they did enter the Taj or Oberoi with weapons, grenades and a series of arsenal without being noticed by any member of the staff or anyone.
    I have not seen this being scrutinized yet, unless I am wrong in saying so. These terrorists have gained the hotel premises on the 15th floor or the 5th floor of the hotels targeted without being disturbed as it looks. How ?
    Also all the other targeted locations .
    And the loss of innocent lives is again emphasized here where punishments by law are very often too generous towards crimes to society.

    Vidéo

    • IN THE FIELD

      Report: 'two terrorists may have been employed in Mumbai hotel'. 29/11

    • IN THE FIELD

      London denies British involvement in Mumbai attacks. 29/11

    • IN THE FIELD

      Sébastien Daguerressar reports on events in front of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. 29/11

    • REPORT

      "The army unit found the bodies of five hostages dead inside."

    • REPORT

      "Everyone around me was shot everywhere but I kept my head down." - Survivor of shootout in Leopold's.

    • REPORT

      "On Friday, the first group of French tourists who evacuated India returned home."

    • IN THE FIELD

      "The operation is still going on" Philippe Levasseur in Mumbai 28/11/08 3pm (GMT+1)

    • IN THE FIELD

      Two French nationals confirmed dead - Philippe Levasseur in Mumbai 28/11/08 4pm (GMT+1)

    • PRESS CONFERENCE

      Indian commandos who battled suspected terrorists at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai speak to reporters, 28/11/08.

    • IN DEPTH

      Chronology of events during Mumbai attacks
      Report by Luke Shrago, France 24, 28/11


 

 

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