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Mumbai Massacre: 'Put your hands up if you are British,' gunmen tell terrified travellers
Thursday, 27 November 2008
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India's financial capital, Mumbai, was rocked by a series of gun attacks and blasts last night that targeted luxury hotels and restaurants – and especially British and American visitors. At least 80 people were reported to have been killed and up to 250 injured.
Police said they were still besieging two gunmen who were holed-up in one of the five-star hotels. They said the "terrorists" had struck at least seven locations with a combination of automatic rifles and grenades. At one location, the gunmen had apparently been searching for British and American travellers to take hostage. Reports last night suggested that several hostages were still being held.
"These are terrorist strikes in at least seven places. Unknown terrorists have gone with automatic weapons and opened fire indiscriminately," said A N Roy, head of the Maharashtra state police. "At a few places they even used grenades."
In a shootout with one terrorist gang, three senior policemen, including Hemant Karkare, the head of Mumbai's anti-terrorist squad, were killed.
Among the targets of the attack were the Taj and Oberoi hotels in south Mumbai. Television images showed the lobby of both hotels on fire and people being evacuated from the Oberoi with their hands on their heads. At the Taj, one of India's most famous hotels, some of the injured were evacuated using its golden luggage carts.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, or indication of the identity of the attackers, but the targeting of American and British visitors implied that the co-ordinated raids had been mounted by an extreme Islamist group.
Alex Chamberlain, who works for a sports website and was in the city on business, told Sky News that gunmen had burst into Oberoi hotel's restaurant and pushed diners upstairs. He said he believed they were looking for British and American visitors.
"They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, 'Don't be a hero, don't say you are British'," said Mr Chamberlain. "I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
The British MEP Sajjad Karim, who is in India for a summit, was in the Taj hotel when it was also attacked by gunmen. Speaking by mobile phone from a barricaded basement room, he told reporters that he and others had fled from machine-gun fire.
"I was in the lobby of the hotel when gunmen came in and people started running. There were about 25 or 30 of us," said the Conservative MEP. "Some of us split one way and some another. A gunman just stood there spraying bullets around, right next to me.
"I managed to turn away and I ran into the hotel kitchen and then we were shunted into a restaurant in the basement. We are now in the dark in this room and we've barricaded all the doors. It's really bad."
Janice Sequeira, a tourist who had been at a restaurant in the Taj, said: "It was really scary. It was like the sound of loud crackers, not one but several, we just ran out of there."
Television new channels also reported shooting outside the Cafe Leopold, a popular restaurant for tourists, and at hospitals and railway stations. Again, automatic rifles had been used, and at least one hand grenade thrown. "They entered the passenger hub of a station and started firing," said AK Sharma, a Mumbai police official. In the aftermath, the restaurant was riddled with bullet holes and there were bloodstains on the floor, and shoes discarded by fleeing customers.
There were also reports of either firing or blasts in one of the city's hospitals. But amid the flurry of fast and furious reports, that had not been confirmed by police or hospital authorities last night. An explosion close to the city's domestic airport was also reported.
India has witnessed a series of terror attacks in recent months. In May, at least 80 people were killed by a volley of blasts in the tourist city of Jaipur. In July, about 50 were killed by a series of explosions in the western city of Ahmedabad. Last month, about 60 people died in Assam, in India's north-east, in similar circumstances.
But last night's attacks in Mumbai – a combination of grenades and automatic weapons – mark a new and deadly milestone in India's continuing battle against extremists.
Most of the attacks have been blamed on Muslims but, in recent weeks, police have rounded up 10 members of what they say is its first Hindu terror cell. Among those arrested are a serving army officer and a Hindu priest.
Mumbai itself has been hit repeatedly by terrorist attacks since March 1993, when Muslim underworld figures linked to Pakistani militants allegedly carried out a series of bombings on Mumbai's stock exchange.
Those attacks killed 257 people and wounded more than 1,100. Ten years later, in 2003, 52 people were killed in Mumbai bombings blamed on Muslim militants and in July 2007 a series of seven blasts ripped through railway trains and commuter rail stations, killing about 190 commuters.
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@all believers of conspiracy theories: No the terrorists didnt come on speed boats all the way from Karachi, they travelled in a fishing trawler named ´kuber until a certain point. and there are enough evidences to prove ur imaginations wrong.
@criticizers wo never held a gun in their hands and are commenting on Police, then remember all the police had was bolt action rifles, and are helpless when automatic weapons are firing, next thing is police is usually not allowed to shoot without orders.
Posted by Irwin | 31.03.09, 11:26 GMT
According to Indian Govt. terrorist came from Karachi by Speed boat, the distance from Karachi to Mumbai is 500 nautical miles. I think terrorist deserve a credit to cross that much distance on speed boats whitouy the noticing of Indian Naval Force, where as the coast from end of the disputed maritime Pakistan-Indian boundary is littered with coastal cities, ports, fishing zones, off shore oil installation, Fixed Indian Naval radars, aerial and ship based radars and an active blue water force. Afer reaching Mumbai, some of them went to TAJ Hotel and The Oberoi Hotel. On the map you can see their location. They are not close to each other. Not a single terrorist were hiding his face, in pictures they were carrying guns and explosives, NO ONE SAW them. They went to Hotels if they now each part of the Hotels. How stupid they were going on a suicide mission with carrying their ID cards, stuff to show who they are, making calls to friend and families so that they can get into trouble.
Posted by Noterrorism | 07.12.08, 08:17 GMT
One of the militants photographed, holding a gun is shown wearing
a Saffron coloured wristband used by militant Hindus. His features do not resemble those of Pakistanis. Furthermore the hotel staff has confirmed that these terrorists had taken alcohol & some Whisky bottles were found in the back packs of the terrorists. Do you really think a Jehadi will consume alcohol going on a mission knowing fully well that he was going to be killed.
Whoever has done this should be exposed, whether they are the faceless stateless terrorists or home grown ones playing a political game.
Posted by Sachibaat | 04.12.08, 01:53 GMT
Why we should not know how many of them landed on Indian soil?
On the first day I remember seeing breaking news as 5 terrorist dead 9 captured...
On thirdday on NDTV highlight was 5 terrorist killed 1 captured at TAJ
CM Maharastra said there could be 20 to 25 in a press conferance on second day...
R R Patil is saying 10 9 killed one captured....
When we will know correct figure?
Posted by Shrikant Barve | 02.12.08, 10:11 GMT
If we don't begin to stand up for what is "right" in our country (U.S.A.) and all over the world...we will be defeated by these terrorists. They have a passion, and they think they have a Divine Purpose...That's their distorted advantage. If we have no passion for God and what is right, we cannot survive. America wake up! Remember your roots, remember that "One Nation Under God" is what we were. Remember when we knew right from wrong and taught our children. Remember that the only way that evil can triumph is when good men do nothing..Like those policemen who stood by and didn't fire a shot! Our humanity is being stolen from us by movies, T.V. , distractions, and selfish indulgences. Open your Bible, read the Truth that will set you free...REad about the Wisdom of God...who promises blessings to those who honor His Law. As we set God outside...and permit the haters to remove the very roots of our lives...we are reaping what we are sowing. Stand up, and fight the good fight everyday.
Posted by Alicewondering | 02.12.08, 06:06 GMT
Wait Lisa! Wow! Are you afraid? Islamic Terrorism and fanaticism Lisa; so there's extremists in every religious group, which means they're the same as the Islamic terrorists that blindly slaughtered people? Did you read the article?
I don't see extremists from any other group carrying out this type of slaughter ALL OVER THE WORLD? ASK YOURSELF WHAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE TAUGHT? WHO AND WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE TAUGHT THEIR HATRED? DO YOU WANT TO LIVE UNDER SHARIA LAW? AND DON'T GIVE ME OH YOU'RE A RACIST GARBAGE, THE MODERATE MUSLIMS ARE TARGETS AS WELL. READ UP ABOUT THE THREAT AND DON'T BE NAIVE ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY IN PUBLIC.
Posted by John Pynchon | 01.12.08, 03:07 GMT
Question...WHY? Is this caused by poverty, by the imperialism of the United States, retaliation for the death of 2000 muslim...what happened to this group of men that would cause them to commit these acts? The civilized mind would say there is nothing in this world that would justify these deaths, or the deaths in Bali Bombings, or the events of Sept 11th in the United States, or the Islamic Pirates off the coast of Somalia, or Decades worth of events all tied to "Islam" Dont be a fool. Connect the dots. Its a straight line. The line leads back to Islam.
Posted by WHY?????? Post 1 | 01.12.08, 01:24 GMT
Looking at the photo map of the town and noting the distances betwen the targets of the attackers, one is led to ask, "How could ten lads get from one place to another so quickly without transport of some kind?' Surely, there must have been some help by others who hid in the shadows, sympathizers who melted back into the crowd once they had done their helping tasks.
The performance of the armed police who hid out and refuused to fight back is a disgrace that India will have to live with for years to come.
India was simply not prepared to deal with this attack and reacted in a shameful way.
Scotty
Posted by Scotty | 30.11.08, 15:56 GMT
My comment is to Stuart who made the last post...Stuart we have seen exactly the same kind of incidents too many times. Mumbai has been hit with quite a few terrorist attacks ever since the Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu extremists (yah! there's such thing).
Everyone keeps blaming Islamic Fundamentalism!! we dont even know who these guys are or what their exact motives were...This could be the latest series of retaliation for the deaths of 2000 Muslims in the riots in Gujrat.
Posted by Lisa | 29.11.08, 16:02 GMT
I think its important to come to terms with the fact that we have seen nothing like the force that is behind this, ever. Islamic fundamentalism is a something we need to understand and face up to. We cannot go on thinking that its not an issue we need to deal with.
Posted by Stuart | 29.11.08, 02:35 GMT
Stuck in Mumbai and gun and grenade battles are raging on at the the Taj Hotel and Nariman House. The final assault by the Indian NSG will hopefully end the seige as soon as possible.
Posted by Paul | 28.11.08, 12:43 GMT
Is the stadium name in the top of the picture a joke?
Posted by Aaron | 28.11.08, 10:46 GMT
Excellent coverage and updated news. Thanks.
Posted by a. palani | 28.11.08, 05:26 GMT
definatley cashing in on my dual nationality here! Get me an irish passport.
Posted by michael | 27.11.08, 20:00 GMT
I am stuck in Mu bai at the moment, all routes out of the city by plane/train are not operating and the seige still goes on.
Posted by claire Co Down Co Down 72.30.79.99 | 27.11.08, 18:19 GMT
Will Gordon offer the same kind of vigorous response to the one he has already shown in Zimbabwe?
Posted by T J McClean | 27.11.08, 07:39 GMT
Think it's time to get an Irish Passport!!
Posted by Peter | 27.11.08, 05:59 GMT
The BBC help line number to the F.O. is not working and adding to the distress of relatives. For twenty five minutes after the number was broadcast it showed as number unobtainable and now we sit here waiting in a queue. Where can we find out what is going on?
Posted by Ann | 26.11.08, 23:46 GMT