In a blatant reflection of growing impunity, terror perpetrators armed with heavy machine and rapid fire rifles, and grenades struck high profile targets in the commercial capital, Mumbai. The hyper-busy CST rail terminus; the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel at the Gateway of India, the plush Oberoi Trident at Nariman Point, the domestic Santa Cruz airport; the Cama and GT hospitals near CST, the Metro Adlabs multiplex and Mazgaon Dockyard were targeted in a concerted effort to spawn mayhem and trigger paranoia, leaving at least 80 dead and wounding over 900.
The attacks took their toll on the city's top police brass: The high-profile chief of the anti-terror squad Hemant Karkare was killed; Mumbai's additional commissioner of police (east) Ashok Kamte was gunned down outside the Metro; and celebrated encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar was also killed.
The attacks appeared to be aimed at getting international attention as the terrorists took upto 40 British nationals and other foreigners hostage. The chairman of Hindustan Unilever Harish Manwani and CEO of the company Nitin Paranjpe figure on the terror hostage list at the Oberoi. All the internal board members of the multinational giant were reported to be holed up in the Oberoi hotel.
Two terrorists were reported holed up inside the Oberoi Hotel. Fresh firing has been reported at Oberoi and Army has entered the hotel to flush out the terrorists.
An unknown terror outfit, Deccan Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attacksin an email message to news organizations.
The Army and Navy in Mumbai were put on alert. 65 Army commandos and 200 NSG commandos were reportedly rushing to the Mumbai, informs Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
The Navy commandos are assisting the police.
Some media reports attribute the attack to Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were also unconfirmed reports that some of the terrorists came in by sea. A boat laden with explosives was recovered off the Gateway of India, early on Thursday morning
Well after midnight, sources said two of the terrorists were shot and wounded at Girgaum in south Mumbai. The two were driving in a silver-coloured Skoda car. Earlier, these men had sprayed bullets from a police Bolero, outside the Metro Adlabs multiplex.
The attacks occurred at the busiest places. Besides hotels and hospitals, terrorists struck at railway stations, Crawford Market, Wadi Bunder and on the Western Express Highway near the airport. Several of these places are within a one-km radius of the commissioner of police's office.
"This is definitely a terrorist strike. Seven places have been attacked with automatic weapons and grenades. Terrorists are still holed up in three locations Taj and Oberoi hotels and GT Hospital. Encounters are on at all three places," said Maharashtra DGP A N Roy.
St George's Hospital and G T Hospital are reported to have received 75 bodies and more than 250 injured, additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said. Bombay Hospital got two bodies and 30 injured people were admitted there; Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle, got three dismembered bodies.
Three of the deaths occurred inside the Taj and one G T Hospital attendant died in a shootout inside the hospital. There were reports of people cowering under tables and chairs at both the Taj as well as G T Hospital.
Train services at CST were suspended and all roads leading to and from south Mumbai were blockaded.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh cut short his Kerala visit and was returning to Mumbai. He described the situation in Mumbai as "very serious".
Army Moves in to Oberoi, Taj
Army commandoes moved into the luxury Oberoi and the Taj Mahal hotels early on Thursday to flush out terrorists that continue to hold several foreign nationals hostage.
Four suspected terrorists were killed in two separate incidents overnight including two during a gun battle in the country's iconic landmark Taj hotel, police said.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil said nine suspected terrorists have been arrested. Schools and colleges were ordered shut.
"The operation (by security forces) is still going on," he said. Besides army commandoes, naval commandos and Rapid Action force personnel joined in the operations to rescue those stranded in the two hotels. Five columns of Army and 200 NSG commandoes have been rushed. Two sten guns have been recovered by police so far, he added.
The chief minister said the Taj and Oberoi is not in control yet. He said there are no terrorists in Cama hospital which was also targeted by gunmen.
Police reported that some hostages were still being held at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi with eyewitnesses saying the gunmen had targeted foreigners after they kept shouting: "Who has US or UK passports?" Several guests were also stuck.
Fire was still raging in the old wing of Taj hotel several hours after it was rocked by five to six blasts and enormous clouds of black smoke rose from the the century-old edifice on Mumbai's waterfront.
Train Services at CST Resume (Update)
Trains resumed plying normally early on Thursday at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), nearly six hours after it was closed following a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai.The Mumbai Patna Express train left at around 4 am from the railway station, which was besieged after suspected terrorist launched yet another series of planned and synchronised attacks in the heart of India's financial capital around midnight Wednesday, officials said.Among the seven terror targets was the CST, formerly known the Victoria Terminus - one of the city's two busiest railway stations that is a World Heritage site.
The attacks took their toll on the city's top police brass: The high-profile chief of the anti-terror squad Hemant Karkare was killed; Mumbai's additional commissioner of police (east) Ashok Kamte was gunned down outside the Metro; and celebrated encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar was also killed.
The attacks appeared to be aimed at getting international attention as the terrorists took upto 40 British nationals and other foreigners hostage. The chairman of Hindustan Unilever Harish Manwani and CEO of the company Nitin Paranjpe figure on the terror hostage list at the Oberoi. All the internal board members of the multinational giant were reported to be holed up in the Oberoi hotel.
Two terrorists were reported holed up inside the Oberoi Hotel. Fresh firing has been reported at Oberoi and Army has entered the hotel to flush out the terrorists.
An unknown terror outfit, Deccan Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attacksin an email message to news organizations.
The Army and Navy in Mumbai were put on alert. 65 Army commandos and 200 NSG commandos were reportedly rushing to the Mumbai, informs Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
The Navy commandos are assisting the police.
Some media reports attribute the attack to Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were also unconfirmed reports that some of the terrorists came in by sea. A boat laden with explosives was recovered off the Gateway of India, early on Thursday morning
Well after midnight, sources said two of the terrorists were shot and wounded at Girgaum in south Mumbai. The two were driving in a silver-coloured Skoda car. Earlier, these men had sprayed bullets from a police Bolero, outside the Metro Adlabs multiplex.
The attacks occurred at the busiest places. Besides hotels and hospitals, terrorists struck at railway stations, Crawford Market, Wadi Bunder and on the Western Express Highway near the airport. Several of these places are within a one-km radius of the commissioner of police's office.
"This is definitely a terrorist strike. Seven places have been attacked with automatic weapons and grenades. Terrorists are still holed up in three locations Taj and Oberoi hotels and GT Hospital. Encounters are on at all three places," said Maharashtra DGP A N Roy.
St George's Hospital and G T Hospital are reported to have received 75 bodies and more than 250 injured, additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said. Bombay Hospital got two bodies and 30 injured people were admitted there; Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle, got three dismembered bodies.
Three of the deaths occurred inside the Taj and one G T Hospital attendant died in a shootout inside the hospital. There were reports of people cowering under tables and chairs at both the Taj as well as G T Hospital.
Train services at CST were suspended and all roads leading to and from south Mumbai were blockaded.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh cut short his Kerala visit and was returning to Mumbai. He described the situation in Mumbai as "very serious".
Army Moves in to Oberoi, Taj
Army commandoes moved into the luxury Oberoi and the Taj Mahal hotels early on Thursday to flush out terrorists that continue to hold several foreign nationals hostage.
Four suspected terrorists were killed in two separate incidents overnight including two during a gun battle in the country's iconic landmark Taj hotel, police said.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil said nine suspected terrorists have been arrested. Schools and colleges were ordered shut.
"The operation (by security forces) is still going on," he said. Besides army commandoes, naval commandos and Rapid Action force personnel joined in the operations to rescue those stranded in the two hotels. Five columns of Army and 200 NSG commandoes have been rushed. Two sten guns have been recovered by police so far, he added.
The chief minister said the Taj and Oberoi is not in control yet. He said there are no terrorists in Cama hospital which was also targeted by gunmen.
Police reported that some hostages were still being held at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi with eyewitnesses saying the gunmen had targeted foreigners after they kept shouting: "Who has US or UK passports?" Several guests were also stuck.
Fire was still raging in the old wing of Taj hotel several hours after it was rocked by five to six blasts and enormous clouds of black smoke rose from the the century-old edifice on Mumbai's waterfront.
Train Services at CST Resume (Update)
Trains resumed plying normally early on Thursday at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), nearly six hours after it was closed following a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai.The Mumbai Patna Express train left at around 4 am from the railway station, which was besieged after suspected terrorist launched yet another series of planned and synchronised attacks in the heart of India's financial capital around midnight Wednesday, officials said.Among the seven terror targets was the CST, formerly known the Victoria Terminus - one of the city's two busiest railway stations that is a World Heritage site.
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This is the statement being made on behalf of Hindustan Unilever Limited
We wish to confirm that the Unilever Group CEO Mr. Patrick Cescau, the Unilever CEO-elect Paul Polman and the HUL Management team including HUL Chairman, Mr. Harish Manwani and HUL CEO Mr Nitin Paranjpe, who were at the Taj Hotel (Mumbai) yesterday, had left the hotel last night (November 26th) itself and they are all safe and accounted for.
Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by these unfortunate events.
For any more clarifications do email at nimesh@windchimes.co.in
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