Table of Contents
BACKGROUND
- There have been many terrorist attacks in Mumbai since the 13 coordinated bomb explosions that killed 257 people and injured 700 on 12 March 1993.
- A group of men, sometimes stated as 24, at other times 26 received training in marine warfare at a remote camp in mountainous Muzaffarabad in Pakistan.
- From the students, 10 were handpicked for the Mumbai mission. They also received training in swimming and sailing, besides the use of high-end weapons and explosives under the supervision of LeT commanders.
- They were given blueprints of all the four targets – The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
THE ATTACKS
- The first events were detailed around 20:00 Indian Standard Time (IST) on 26 November, when 10 men in inflatable speedboats came ashore at two locations in Colaba.
- They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermen who asked them who they were to “mind their own business” before they split up and headed two different ways.
- The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire using AK-47 rifles.The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others,their assault ending at about 22:45.
- The attackers then headed towards Cama Hospital with an intention to kill patients, but the hospital staff locked all of the patient wards.
- A team of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad led by police chief Hemant Karkare searched the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and then left in pursuit of Kasab and Khan. Kasab and Khan opened fire on the vehicle in a lane next to the hospital, and received return fire in response.
- Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and one of their officers were killed. The only survivor, Constable Arun Jadhav, was severely wounded.
- A gun battle then ensued in which Khan was killed and Kasab was wounded. After a physical struggle, Kasab was arrested.A police officer, Tukaram Omble was also killed when he ran in front of Kasab to shoot him.
TAJ HOTEL AND OBEROI TRIDENT
- The Leopold Cafe, a popular restaurant and bar on Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai, was one of the first sites to be attacked.
- The two hotels, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Oberoi Trident, were among the four locations targeted. Six explosions were reported at the Taj hotel. At the Taj, firefighters rescued 200 hostages from windows using ladders during the first night.
- Nariman House, a Chabad Lubavitch Jewish centre in Colaba known as the Mumbai Chabad House, was taken over by two attackers and several residents were held hostage.
OPERATION BLACK TORNADO
- NSG commandos arrived from Delhi, and a naval helicopter took an aerial survey. During the attacks, both hotels were surrounded by Rapid Action Force personnel and Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NSG) commandos.
- Security forces stormed both hotels, and all nine attackers were killed by the morning of 29 November.Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan of the NSG was killed during the rescue.32 hostages were killed at the Oberoi Trident.
- NSG commandos then took on the Nariman house, and a Naval helicopter took an aerial survey. By the morning of November 28, the NSG had secured the Jewish outreach centre at Nariman House as well as the Oberoi Trident hotel.
- The final operation at the Taj Palace hotel was completed by the NSG commandos at 08:00 on 29 November, killing three attackers and resulting in the conclusion of the attacks.
- The NSG rescued 250 people from the Oberoi, 300 from the Taj and 60 people (members of 12 different families) from Nariman House.
AFTERMATH
- The attacks are sometimes referred to in India as “26/11“.The Maharashtra government planned to buy 36 speed boats to patrol the coastal areas and several helicopters for the same purpose.
- The government strengthened anti-terror laws with UAPA 2008, and the federal National Investigation Agency was formed.
- The attacks further strained India’s slowly recovering relationship with Pakistan. India’s then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee declared that India may indulge in military strikes against terror camps in Pakistan to protect its territorial integrity
- A new National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was proposed to SET UP.
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