New Delhi:
The 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, one of the deadliest terrorist assault on Indian soil, were carried out on the night of November 26, 2008 by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba men (Pakistani nationals) who sneaked in from the sea. Ten Pakistani terrorists, who were armed with automatic weapons and grenades, struck at multiple high-profile locations in South Mumbai, including two luxury hotels, the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, a Jewish centre, and a popular cafe. At least 166 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the ghastly attacks that lasted for four days. Today is the 11th anniversary of the deadliest attack carried out in India and tributes are pouring in since this morning as the country and the world remembers the victims who had lost their lives.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu paid his tribute to the victims of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and offered his salutations to the bravery and devotion of security personnel. In a tweet, he said, "My tributes to all those who lost their lives in the dastardly Mumbai terror attack of 2008. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. I salute the bravery and devotion of our security personnel who laid down their lives to protect the motherland."
My tributes to all those who lost their lives in the dastardly Mumbai terror attack of 2008. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families.#MumbaiTerrorAttack
— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) November 26, 2019
I salute the bravery and devotion of our security personnel who laid down their lives to protect the motherland. The nation shall forever remain grateful to their sacrifices#MumbaiTerrorAttack
— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) November 26, 2019
In the meantime, US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus tweeted saying 11 years ago, "a cowardly act of terrorism" took the lives of 166 people, including six US citizens. “Today we remember the victims of the #MumbaiTerrorAttack, and stand with their families in demanding that those responsible for this heinous event face justice," she added.
Painful it is, however, here’s the necessary action recap of the events that unfolded on the fateful day:
Soon after sneaking in Mumbai via sea-route under the cover of darkness, the terrorists targeted major landmarks of Mumbai with the first attack taking place at the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station. Ajmal Kasab and Ismail Khan carried out the attack at CSMT railway station, killing as many as 58 people and injuring over 100. Later, Ajmal Kasab and Ismail Khan entered to attack Cama Hospital. Fortunately, the attack was thwarted by the alert hospital staffers. However, Kasab and Ismail killed 6 police officials, including city's Anti-Terrorism Squad Hemant Karkare in an ambush after leaving the hospital.
Nariman House business and residential complex was the second site to come under attack. Rabbi, his wife, and six others, including five Israeli citizens, were killed by the terrorists. The two-year-old child of the Rabbi couple, Moshe, survived in the attack. Then 'Baby Moshe' became a face of the innocent victims of ruthless terrorism.
The third site to come under attack on 26/11 was the Leopold Cafe followed by Taj Mahal Hotel and Tower. Four terrorists carried out the attack at the famous cafe before entering the iconic Taj hotel, where they killed 31 people after laying a three-day siege at the hotel.
The other site to come under attack during the 26/11 was Oberoi-Trident hotel where two terrorists entered at almost the same time, as the other four had entered Taj. At Oberoi-Trident hotel the siege officially ended on the evening of November 28 with as many as 30 being killed in the horrific attack.
NSG secured the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on the morning of November 29, 2008. By the time commandos of the NSG gunned down the last terrorists who had been holed up in south Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace hotel, over 160 people were killed and hundreds were left injured.
After the attack, it was established that the 10 terrorists had sailed to Mumbai from Pakistan's port city, Karachi. Their voyage to Mumbai involved hijacking a fishing dingy and killing four of the five men crew, leaving one occupant to ferry them to Mumbai coast.
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9 terrorists were killed and the lone survivor, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was caught and was sentenced to death at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in 2012. Hafiz Saeed of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) was believed to have plotted the 26/11 attacks.
