Mumbai: Indian Army, Cops Prevent Foreigners’ Massacre

New Delhi: Reports are now coming in from terror-struck Mumbai (or Bombay) of the valiant rescue effort of the Indian army and the police thus saving the lives of scores of foreigners held hostage during the past 24 hours. Top police officials led from the front and at least three anti-terrorist cops were killed.(Photograph on top – courtesy Reuters – shows a commando landing at the Jewish center.)

Latest: For an eyewitness account please click here… And here…

Mumbai, a city of 18 million, is the nerve-center of India’s growing economic might and home to the “Bollywood” film industry, and thus also attracts big criminals and terrorists. Here is the chronology of the major terrorist strikes…Please click here…

Now the Mumbai terrorist attack update: Here is The Times of London report: “Indian commandos began storming a Jewish Centre in a residential building in Bombay this morning as other troops continued to comb through two luxury hotels searching for militants and any stranded guests or hostages.

“Shortly after dawn, The Times saw an Indian air force helicopter dropping 17 commandos on the roof of Nariman House, which contains a Jewish centre where militants are thought to be holding several hostages, including Israeli citizens.

“There were conflicting reports about the number of hostages inside, with police initially saying there were none, but other officials saying 10 Israeli citizens are being held by at least three gunmen. The Israeli embassy, which has said there were 10-12 Israeli citizens among those trapped or held in Bombay, denied any Israeli forces were involved in the assault.” More here

Meanwhile the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, blamed the multiple attacks on forces “outside the country”, a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan. The tension conjured memories of a militant attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, which almost sparked a fourth war between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Indian Navy boarded a cargo ship that had recently arrived in Bombay from Pakistan. India’s top TV channel NDTV reports: “Terrorists who struck Mumbai had set up advance ‘Control Rooms’ in the luxury Taj and Trident (Oberoi) hotels which was also targeted and did prior reconnaissance executing plans worked ‘over months’, Union Cabinet minister Kapil Sibal said.

” ‘The terrorists have identified the targets earlier. Somebody had told them earlier. Enormous planning went into the incident. The terrorists were dropped by a mother ship and travelled in rubber boats which they docked (at Mumbai),’ Sibal added.

“As security agencies pieced together various leads in the probe on India’s worst ever terror strike, there were reports that a likely marine arm of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba may have been involved in the well-planned attacks that left 125 persons dead.

The Union Home Ministry said the terrorists chose the sea route and came to the city in boats before spreading out in the metropolis to carry out the sinister strike.” More here…

Here is The Washington Post’s take on this….

For my earlier posts please click here…