Mumbai terror toll mounts; army launches final assault news
27 November 2008

Mumbai: Commandos belonging to the National Security Guards have mounted a decisive assault on the Taj and Nariman House even as reports said  some of the hostages, including the wife and two kids of the general manager of the Taj hotel have been killed in the crossfire.

More than 50 commandos have entered the Taj in a bid to flush out the terrorists holed up in the building, even as people continue to be evacuated from the Trident/Oberoi hotel.

It is, however, not clear how many survivors are still held hostage in the three premises – Hotel Taj, Trident/ Oberoi Hotel and Nariman House.

Around 400 people have been evacuated from the Taj hotel, and 78 have been evacuated from the Oberoi. But, reports say some people are still trapped in their rooms and are not stepping out in fear.

Two marine commandos have been injured in a massive explosion in the Oberoi even as two explosions were heard after a large contingent of the RAF came out of the New Taj building.

While police sources claim to have killed 5 terrorists and apprehended another two, the terrorist action is estimated to have claimed the lives of around 150 people, including nine foreigners and 14 police personnel. Over 300 others have also been injured or hospitalised.

Of the two terrorists apprehended so far, one has been identified as Abu Ismail from Faridkot, Pakistan.

Even as the NSG engaged holed up terrorists, sounds of explosions were being heard intermittently from the two hotels, with five loud explosions heard from the Oberoi Hotel alone.

At the Nariman House in Colaba, where many of the hostages are feared to be Israelis and Jews, a specialist NSG team trained in managing hostage crisis has moved in with rocket launchers and bazookas to flush out the terrorists still holed inside and to free the hostages.

Army, NSG and paramilitary forces have cordoned off the area and the Navy and Coast Guard are also aiding the operations.

Coast Guard vessels are said to be pursuing the vessel M V Alpha which was allegedly used by the terrorists to arrive on the Mumbai coast. Naval choppers Dornier, and IAF's IL 72s have also been deployed.

The terrorists had arrived in Gujarat from Karachi and left for Mumbai last night in M V Alpha. From there they had jumped into speed boats to touch shore with Mumbai.

India's most audacious terror attack began when a group of men carrying a huge quantity of arms and ammunition got off at the Gateway of India jetty, Mumbai's most identifiable landmark, and literally crossed the road to begin the night of mayhem.

The terrorists have landed at the Gateway of India, just across the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel on Wednesday night. The assailants then went about their task commandeering vehicles to attack the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, the Leopold café and enter the Taj and the Oberoi Trident hotels where they continue to hold tourists as hostages.

The intelligence agencies had no clue about the attack notwithstanding the scale of the operation and the degree of coordination of the attackers.


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Mumbai terror toll mounts; army launches final assault