India under attack?

[draggar]

It seems that there have been some larger scale terrorist attacks in India today?

Videos of large hotels on fire, police vans, I'm assuming filled with terrorists, firing into crowds of civilians, reports of the Taj Mahal under attack?

Scary stuff

[Johnn]

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/l...stream=stream1

Several places in Mumbai.

[Gerry]

Horrible thoughtless killing.

First hand account from the ex-wife of Prince, who was in one of the restaurants attacked...http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapc...ene/index.html

[draggar]

I hope our DNF friends in that area are OK. There has already been significant loss of life.

CNN has a vido of the police van shooting into a crowd.

[Johnn]

Scorpio & Lord Brar live in Jaipur - about 600 miles from Mumbai.

[stewie]

sad news

[Admin]

I hope our DNF friends in that area are OK. There has already been significant loss of life.

CNN has a vido of the police van shooting into a crowd.

I second that, our thoughts are with everyone in that area.

[Gerry]

No matter if they are members or not.

Needless slaughter in the name of a cause or a god is a pure cowardly act.

It sickens me to the core.

[vikrantjain22]

As you might all be aware by now, Mumbai, the Financial capital of India was hit with Terror Strikes last night, which is still continuing at 3 places, at the time of writing this post.

Militants are still holed up at 2 5-Star hotels, the Taj and and the Oberoi and at one Semi Residence building.

At last count 100 were dead and 300 injured, including the head of the Anti-Terrorist Sqad.

There are still 100 people held as hostages in the Taj and Oberoi's combined and National Security Guard Commandos are already in a flushing operations.

Its believed that the Terrorists ranging from 12-15 in number arrived in Mumbai, directly using the Sea-Route from Karachi, Pakistan.

The terrorists involved in the last night attack are barely out of their teens and armed to the teeth.

Foreigners, mainly British and American citizens were targeted by the terrorists and another place attacked, Cafe Leopald is also frequented by Western Touists, after being mentioned heavily in the book called "Shantaram:, now being made into a movies, featuring Jonny Depp.

Live updates on the attack can be followed up at www.rediff.com
(watch the indian version of the site, they have a US version also)

You can also watch live updates at www.ibnlive.com

We have kepy quiet for the last 60 years, how many years more and after how many lives will the Govt. wake up to realize patience has its virtue but how long.................


The time line of events is as follows:

04:25 PM: Loud explosion has been heard outside Taj Hotel.

03:54 PM: Third grenade blast has been reported from the Trident Hotel (Oberoi).

03:15 PM: Two grenade blasts have been heard from Trident hotel.

02:54 PM: Grenade blast has been reported from Nariman House in south Mumbai, where six terrorists are holed up. One terrorist had been gunned down earlier

02:33 PM: Navy helicopters are chasing a Vietnamese registered ship, MV Alpha, which is believed to have dropped terrorists near Bombay. Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta is closely monitoring the situation.

02:10 PM: Our correspondent Krishnakumar K reports that the first 4 floors of the six-storeyed Taj Hotel have been sanitised. Forty bodies have been recovered so far. NSG sources add that four fidayeen (suicide bombers) have been killed in the final assault.

01:50 PM: Director General of Police A N Roy says all people trapped inside Taj Hotel have been rescued and the hostage situation is over. "No negotiations with the terrorists. Either we will kill them or nab them alive," says Roy. Meanwhile, an National Security Guard spokesman says 200 more NSG commandos were being rushed to Mumbai.

01:13 PM: Trident Hotel (formerly Oberoi), has said that it is under the control of police and security forces, and they are monitoring the situation in wake of the terrorist strike.

01:23 PM: Handgrenades lobbed from Oberoi Hotel in south Mumbai where terrorists are holed up.

12:42 PM: Police say one terrorist holed up inside Nariman House has been killed. Six more terrorists are suspected to be hiding inside the building.

12:14 PM: At least four terrorists are holed up in the Taj Hotel where 40 to 50 guests were still trapped, says Major R K Hooda, General Officer Commanding of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. Two bodies have been brought out of the Taj Hotel and taken away in an ambulance.

11:25 AM: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil has said that there can be 10 to 12 terrorists involved in the terror attack inside Taj Hotel. Five of them have been killed and one of them arrested, he told media persons outside the hotel as security forces prepared to launch an assault to end the terror.

11:09 AM: Latest reports say that the Navy and Army have taken control at Oberoi. Meanwhile, a child of foreign nationality and an Indian maid have been seen coming out of Nariman House in South Mumbai. Reports also say that US intelligence officials are among the foreigners killed at Taj Hotel.

10:57 AM: Fire brigade personnel have started rescuing people from Taj Hotel. Top French Nuclear physicist has also been rescued from the hotel.

10:40 AM: Smoke has been seen billowing from the new building of the Taj Hotel -- which stands next to the old building where terrorists are holed up. While NSG operation was on in the old building, fire brigade personnel were trying to douse fire in the new wing.

10:30 AM: The number of policemen killed has gone up to 16. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the nation after 7 PM after the Cabinet meeting. The Maharashtra state Cabinet will meet at 2 PM.

09:30 AM: Terrorist out in the open! A terrorist holed up inside Nariman House jumps to the adjacent building. Meanwhile, an emergency Cabinet meeting has been called at 1100 hours.

09:27 AM: IB has arrested a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist of Pakistani origin from Mumbai. The e-mail sent after terror attacks has been traced to Russia. Authorities say the mail was sent by Lashkar operatives. They also believe that the Lashkar terrorists came directly from Karachi to Mumbai.

09:30 AM: Firing has been heard near Nariman House in Colaba. Police have cordoned off the area amid reports that terrorists are holed up in the building.

09:09 AM: Curfew has been clamped in Colaba after firing intensified in the Taj hotel. Police are using smoke cannisters to disable terrorists' vision. Meanwhile, Hostages are being evacuated from the Taj hotel even as gunbattle rages. A journalist has been injured in the firing. All international flights from Mumbai have been cancelled.

08:55 AM: Agencies have reported that terrorists are holed up inside the Cama Hospital. Commandoes have started firing at terrorists.

08:05 AM: Fresh firing erupted early on Thursday in Taj hotel as commandos moved in to flush out terrorists holding some foreigners hostage.
Sharp shooters of army, NSG and other security forces moved into Mumbai's landmark hotel. Police believe that the number of holed out terrorists could be three or four.
Another luxury hotel Trident (formerly Oberoi) was under siege with some terrorists holding some foreigners hostage.

07:50 AM: More grim news is coming in from Taj Hotel, where several staff members have been feared killed in the terrorist attack.
Over 100 guests are still stuck inside the hotel, where two terrorists are reportedly holed up.
At Nariman House in Colaba, onlookers informed that the police exchanged fire about an hour ago.
The place looked like a riot-hit site, swarming with police officials and military trucks. Most people have been holed up here since an explosion shook the area at 10.30 pm.
The explosion occurred when the terrorists lobbed hand grenades at the local petrol pump. The blast was followed by a gunfight between police forces and the terrorists.

06:20 AM: The hostage crisis continued at Taj Hotel in the wee hours of Thursday as Army commandos moved in to flush out the terrorists.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh assured that there was no hostage situation at Cama Hospital in South Mumbai.
An Army commando was reportedly injured in the shoot-out. An explosion was also reported in the lobby of the Taj Hotel

04:23 AM: Vaihayasi Pande-Daniel reports that the fire that engulfed the old wing of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai has been put out. Though the major conflagration has been contained, flames continue to flicker, occasionally leaping into life, at the corner of the heritage wing.
Police and fire brigade personnel have placed ladders against the side of the building, and are bringing hotel guests out through that means. Some foreigners who had been evacuated were being ferried to a nearby hospital for first aid, while others are being taken by bus to alternate accommodations. Officials here estimate that most of the guests inside the hotel have been evacuated.
Commandos of the Indian navy meanwhile have staked out vantage points covering all exit points, while others of their number prowl around the perimeter of the hotel.
A group of Taj employees stood clustered on the pavement opposite the hotel, staring at the hotel through tear-filled eyes. They had been told to leave, they said � but clearly, they could not bring themselves to walk away from a hotel that, to them and to most Mumbaikars, is shared heritage than mere hotel.
Elsewhere, an attractive young woman attempted to restore some semblance of order to her silver-zari sari. She was drenched, and still disoriented from her experiences of the night.
"We were partying, and suddenly there was firing all over," the woman, who had just been evacuated by ladder from a window some 30 feet up, recalled. "I'd read about such things in the paper, and routinely turned the page� but when it happens to you, when you experience it�"

03:57 AM: Though the firefight at the Oberoi is still far from finished, the takeover of the operation by units of the Indian Army appears to have taken the South Mumbai hotel off the 'critical' list.

Vaihayasi Pande-Daniel reports for Rediff that most of the one dozen fire trucks that had been stationed around the Oberoi have been dispatched to the Taj Mahal Hotel, where a blazing fire threatens to devastate the old wing of the iconic hotel.
Daniel cites police sources as saying the army commandoes are doing a systematic sweep of the hotel, lobbing grenades ahead of them to take out hidden dangers before securing each successive wing of the hotel.
The constant bang of grenades from within the hotel continues to alarm the crowds gathered outside the hotel, and kept at a distance by police. Not all of them have come to gape, however. Vadhavan, a businessman from New Delhi, sits in rumpled attire on the parapet of Marine Drive, trying to stay awake.
He had arrived in Mumbai this evening at the head of a 13-member business delegation. He was in the act of checking into the Oberoi when the firing began. "I think the shooting started at the Oberoi," says Vadhavan. "They ushered us all out through a side entrance and told us to leave. I got separated from the rest of my group; I think they are waiting on the other side of the hotel."
The flushing out operation is far from finished; Vadhavan's wait threatens to extend through what remains of this night.

3:42 AM: At the Taj Hotel, where a joint operation involving the Mumbai police, the Central Reserve Police Force and a commando group from the Navy is engaged in flushing out terrorists within the premises, PTI reports that almost all the guests have been brought out to safety at the time of writing this.
The situation continues to remain dangerous, however, with an indeterminate number of terrorists within the hotel, two of whom are believed to be holding a group of tourists hostage on an upper floor.
Meanwhile, the fire that erupted in the old wing of the historic hotel has spread alarmingly. The fire now burns bright across at least two mid-level floors of the old wing, and thick clouds of black smoke spew from the signature minaret that crowns the hotel's roof.

03: 06 AM: A little over four hours since gunshots first erupted at the CST railway terminal, and coordinated terrorist attacks spread to various parts of South Bombay, the situation remains fluid.
At the Taj Mahal Hotel, a contingent of Navy commandos has joined the police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel attempting to enter the hotel and flush out the terrorists. From within the hotel, word is that occasional explosions, and sporadic gunfire, continue at the time of writing this.
At the Oberoi Hotel, the army has taken over the operation and entered the hotel; it is now reportedly engaged in flushing out the terrorists hiding within.
At the Cama Hospital, a specialty medical center for women and children, official sources say terrorists are holed up on the fourth floor and have been firing from that vantage point. Police have surrounded the hospital and are engaging the terrorists in an ongoing gun battle.

02:50 AM: Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and Member of Parliament N N Krishnadas, who is staying at the Taj Mahal Hotel, reports that as late as 2:10 AM, explosions could be heard from within the premises.
Krishnadas told CNN that he is holed up in a room, and outside of the noise of explosions and gunfire has no real idea what is happening within the premises.
Meanwhile, the fire that broke out in one of the hotel's middle floors has been spreading upwards, adding a fresh hazard both to the police and CRPF personnel engaged in the anti-terrorist operation and to the guests within the hotel.
Even as police sources upped the toll in today's terrorist strikes in Mumbai at 80 and counting, police continue to lay siege to the Taj Mahal Hotel, where two terrorists are believed to be holding at least 15 guests hostage on one of the upper floors of the hotel.
The police are at this point in time unsure whether the two hostage takers are the only terrorists within the hotel.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army has moved into the Oberoi and the Trident, the two other South Mumbai hotels targeted in today's terrorist strikes.
A battalion of the Indian army entered the Oberoi and began an operation against the terrorists holed up inside. The army was called in after the police took several casualties, including the deaths of some senior officers.
With the army now in charge of this phase of the operation � the first time the Indian army is operating in the city since the 1992 riots � the police has fallen back and is focusing on cordoning off the area.
Vaihayasi Pande-Daniel, reporting for Rediff.com from outside the Oberoi Hotel, reports that with the cordon being drawn tight, people waiting outside are in a state of panic, and desperately searching for information. A group of senior bankers from Hyderabad are among those inside the hotel to attend a conference; their Mumbai-based colleagues are outside, awaiting word of their fate.

02: 25 AM: Mumbai's Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare died of bullet wounds in the ongoing battle against armed terrorists that is raging across several parts of South Mumbai.
Vijay Salaskar, an officer attached to the Mumbai police who has been famed as an 'encounter specialist', was seriously injured in the ongoing gun battle and has been rushed to hospital. In all, seven Mumbai policemen are believed killed thus far.
Meanwhile, Railway Police Chief Ashok Sharma told Rediff.com that at least 40 people were killed inside Mumbai's nodal Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminus. "The attack started around 9.35 pm," Sharma said. "Two terrorists were inside. We can confirm at least 40 people killed."
It is yet unclear whether the terrorists are still on-site, have left, or been killed. Sharma said there had been no firing from within the terminus for the last two hours. "Despite this, we are not allowing people to go into the station as we are worried that the terrorists might have planted bombs or left live grenades in the station," he said.
Sharma said the official belief is that the two terrorists had sneaked out of the station in the confusion following the original assault.
Sudhir Dalvi, a sub-inspector attached to the Mumbai cell of the Anti-Terrorist Squad, told Sheela Bhatt for Rediff.com that his boss, ATS chief Hemant Karkare, and senior police officers Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, were killed in an incident outside Mumbai's Cama Hospital.
"Our chief Karkare, my senior officer Salaskar and ACP Kamte died while engaging terrorists outside the Cama hospital," a sobbing Dalvi told Rediff.com. "All of a sudden, terrorists threw grenades at Karkare leading to chaos. We are unable to confirm whether they fell to terrorist fire or were killed by the grenades."
Meanwhile, the army has moved into the Trident Hotel, the third five-star hotel in the South Mumbai region that had been targeted in tonight's coordinated terrorist strikes.

02:10 AM: It is now believed that 15 people, at least seven of them foreigners, have been taken hostage by two terrorists and are being held on the roof of the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Rakesh Patel, a London-based businessman who managed to escape, told NDTV that the two terrorists, estimated to be in their early 20s, came to a restaurant on the ground floor of the Taj, rounded up the hostages and took them to the 18th floor. Patel, who was one among them, managed at that point to escape.
Patel said the terrorists asked if any of the hostages were carrying American or British passports, and said he got the clear impression that they wanted foreigners.

01:50 AM: Krishnakumar reports from the Juhu region that a bomb went off in a taxi that was speeding along the Western Express Highway from Vile Parle towards Andheri, killing two people and injuring two others.
"The taxi exploded and went up in flames as it sped past the traffic island under the flyover at the domestic airport," an eyewitness said on phone. "The vehicle, which was up in flames soon after it crossed the traffic signal, was on the left
side. A bystander and a person in the taxi were killed.
Reports indicate that this was perhaps the night's highest-intensity blast. Krishnakumar reports that the taxi's doors were found a distance of 50 meters or more away, and body parts of the victims had been thrown even further.

01:43 AM: At least two suspected terroristswere shot dead minutes earlier at the corner of Mumbai's Chowpatty. Rediff's Vaihayasi Pande-Daniel, who is on the site, reports that the area has been cordoned off and is swarming with police officers; the Skoda is under guard and a cellphone, a jacket, and items of footwear are strewn around the vehicle.
Meanwhile at the Taj Mahal Hotel, the standoff between police, who have surrounded the hotel, and terrorists who are holed up inside, continues.
A short while ago, power went off in parts of the hotel, adding to the sense of panic and fear. Well known food critic Sabina Sahgal Saikia, who is inside the hotel, told NDTV on phone just now that the guests are terrified, and unaware of just what is happening around them. It is unclear at this point in time whether the power has been turned off by the police as they battle the terrorists.

01:27 AM: Rediff's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel calls in from the Marine Drive region to report that the approaches to the South Mumbai area have been shut down, and that sounds of firing are audible as far away as Mumbai's famed Queen's Necklace stretch, though the source of the firing is unclear.
Meanwhile, a foreign national who managed to escape from the Taj Mahal Hotel, where a state of seige currently exists, told NDTV that armed and masked gunmen were wandering around inside the hotel, looking for people with American or British passports.
The eyewitness account appears to confirm the growing belief among law enforcement circles that this latest attack is aimed directly at foreign nationals -- hence the choice of star hotels as prime targets. They further theorize that automatic weapons are being used rather than bombs in order to orchestrate such targeted mayhem.
Meanwhile, the real dangers of the situation are being exaggerated by a proliferation of rumors. One such that has been aired on a few channels including CNN suggested that firing was taking place at the JW Marriott, another five star hotel in the Juhu region of suburban Mumbai. A source in the hotel however confirmed to Rediff just now that there was no alarm at the hotel, and no incident of any kind had taken place.

12:44 AM: A gun battle is ongoing in the Taj Hotel in Colaba. Within the last ten minutes, a guest at the hotel got word out to CNN via email that a grenade had exploded within the hotel premises just then.
Additional Commissioner of Police AN Roy and other officials confirmed that some armed terrorists are holed up in the iconic hotel.
Police officials said they have no information of a hostage situation; they say guests have been sequestered in safe areas of the hotel, and the police are now engaged in flushing out the terrorists from their hiding place.


It pains me to see so many people dead, 2 people who dies at the Oberoi's were friends of a friend and the loss of a loved one cannot be defined by words.

May god give the strength to all those who have lost a loved one.

[PRED]

Thoughts and prayers with our friends in India. Can't say how sickening all this is. Brainwashed nutters carrying out this stuff on innocents whilst the scum who are coordinating it are safe away from it all

keep safe Vik and other guys out there

[Carter]

My respect and prayers to all indians.
Horrible attack (some italians in the hotels).
It's time someone kill these cowards terrorists.

[Stian]

It's terrible. God bless all our Indian domainer friends.

[draggar]

No matter if they are members or not.

Needless slaughter in the name of a cause or a god is a pure cowardly act.

It sickens me to the core.

Completely true but it seems to hit a lot closer to home when it's people in your community (online or geographical).

We have kepy quiet for the last 60 years, how many years more and after how many lives will the Govt. wake up to realize patience has its virtue but how long.................

Hopefully India (and other countries) will be reminded that terrorist organizations are still out there and very active. The new here is saying that there is a good chance that Al-Qaeda was involved in some way. It's also being closely looked at if westerners were targeted or not.

Thoughts and prayers with our friends in India. Can't say how sickening all this is. Brainwashed nutters carrying out this stuff on innocents whilst the scum who are coordinating it are safe away from it all

keep safe Vik and other guys out there

I think it was mentioned in an earlier post that they think most of the terrorists were "barely out of their teens" which means with standard training they started around 14-16 which is the perfect age to recruit terrorists.

Right now 125 people are reported dead, over 300 wounded. I hope the numbers stop there but I'm afraid that they won't. I'm also hoping that this isn't a catalyst for the beginning of a much larger conflict (like how 9-11 triggered the "war on terror"). An India-Pakistan major conflict is one of the last things this world needs right now (well, any time). Two nuclear nations going at it is an extremely scary thought and I'm sure groups like Al-Qaeda will try their hardest to drag the US / NATO into it.

[fab]

Terrible tragedy!

We have kept quiet for the last 60 years, how many years more and after how many lives will the Govt. wake up to realize patience has its virtue but how long.................

Could you please explain what this terrorism is all about, like who do they hate and why?

[stewie]

Sad News,

I hope India and Pakistan don't start fighting ... that's what the terrorist would want...

We need to get United to have a chance to beat this Terrorism.

[DomainsInc]

This is insane, surely after years of this BS they must be starting to realize all of this random violence against innocent people isn't going to advance their cause at all.

[Arrogance]

Echoing everyone else, thoughts are with India right now

[draggar]

Terrible tragedy!
Could you please explain what this terrorism is all about, like who do they hate and why?

This is insane, surely after years of this BS they must be starting to realize all of this random violence against innocent people isn't going to advance their cause at all.

Their cause is chaos, which is exactly what they're getting. Terrorist organizations don't care about borders and only go after people who don't share their agenda. They also want to cause tension in the world (just imagine, no tension, they're not popular).

[FuseFX]

Wrote this rant on facebook for my friends right after the attack... might make sense to post it here too.

If you haven't already heard, Mumbai -- India's financial capital -- is under attack by Muslim Terrorists. Over 100 people have been killed in 7 different well-coordinated attacks at various public places and luxury hotels in Mumbai.

If you are interested in following the news, two best sources for Indian news are http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ and http://ibnlive.in.com/. If you want to see the ugly faces of these retards, Times of India has their pictures -- http://broadband.indiatimes.com/toiv...st/3761413.cms

Now, I would be lying if I say that I am not worried about the pattern which I have seen emerge in this attack i.e. targeting luxury hotels along with public places. I live in the tourist capital of India - Jaipur - and if this pattern becomes common then my city is at particular risk.

However, am I losing my sleep or feeling scared to do anything because of this attack? Absolutely NOT. Here's why --

1. Terrorists attack where it gets publicity or maximum impact. Mumbai has been under scanner for some time now and everytime it is attacked it makes headlines for being the financial capital of the country. Same for New Delhi. So does it come as a surprise that they are two of the most attacked cities when it comes to terrorism with the objective of creating a chaos?

Terrorists try to attack those places where they get maximum publicity -- including places where you expect the most people or on certain days of religious significance. The Taj Hotel in mumbai is situated right next to Gateway of India and is itself a historic building, so going there makes a LOT more news.

2. Things you have no control over. There are some things that you have no control over and dying is one of those. You have no idea what is going to happen in next 5 minutes, let alone next 5 days or 5 weeks or 5 year. A car can hit you, you can slip from staircases or you can be a victim of terrorism.

So, why worry about stuff that you have no control over? All you can do is try to minimize the probability (hey, I would not go for my summer vacation in Iraq). But India is not Iraq and we still have extremely effective army -- and a fairly decent police setup. You can't keep track of everything in a truly democratic country with a population of 1.2 Billion -- so considering that, it is not as bad as it sounds.

I survived terrorism in Punjab when I was a kid (check http://punjabtrauma.org/ if you have no idea what I am talking about) and bomb blasts in Jaipur earlier this year. You can't let this fear take over your life and stop doing what you are doing considering that this is something you have no control over.

What is in your destiny, will happen to you -- so why fret over it?

And remember the old saying -- "For Every Problem Under the Sun, There is Either a Solution or There Isn't. If there is, let's find it. Else, never mind it".

3. Terrorism is Part of Life. It is not just confined to India, it happens everywhere in one form or other. So life has to continue.

4. India still has an excellent army and decent police setup. Yes, our political system is ****ed. Yes, our police isn't that effective but it is still decent. And yes, our army and police kills a LOT of terrorists in here in encounters. So while some people do cry about human rights and stuff like that but overall this keeps a whole lot of stuff in check.

So, I am not going to alter any of the plans I have made for next month -- including IGF -- and hope that neither you let it affect your plans.

Yes I am safe but it is a huge tragedy for India. =(

[DNP]

My Deepest Condolences... I am here in Canada. Though there is no tragedy here directly but I can feel the impact it has on us. We are all connected. People here are shocked, immigrants from India are worried about their loved ones back home. This had happened in Russia, Spain, Israel, USA, ... and now India. I pray for all those who lost their lives or their loved ones. May god give them peace! My support to everybody out there. We are all with you!!!