Mumbai Massacre As Terrorists Strike
November 27, 2008
The Scotsman - By Brian Ferguson
A SERIES of co-ordinated terror attacks - seemingly targeting Britons and Americans - left at least 78 people dead and more than 200 injured in the Indian city of Mumbai last night.
Heavily armed gunmen opened fire on the city's crowded main railway station, as well as at hospitals, a police headquarters, luxury hotels and a restaurant popular with tourists.
Eye-witnesses caught up in the chaos in India's financial capital said the gunmen were specifically looking for Britons and Americans. The attacks appeared aimed at foreigners, with reports claiming that westerners were being held hostage at two five-star hotels in the city.
An explosion rocked one of the hotels, the seaside landmark Taj Mahal, followed by raging fires.
Firefighters were last night still trying to rescue people trapped by the flames. They placed ladders against the hotel to rescue people, who were seen hanging out of second-floor windows.
Gunfire could be held in the city for several hours.
The motive for the attacks remained unclear late last night. However, Mumbai has been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists several times in recent years.
An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind attacks, local television channels reported. The relatively unknown group sent an e-mail to news organisations claiming responsibility.
The gunmen attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Cafe Leopold, the best-known restaurant in Mumbai, along with the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels. The locations are all popular with tourists.
Reports claimed India's anti-terrorism chief, Hemant Karkare, was also killed in the attacks.
Alex Chamberlain, a British sports writer who had been dining at the Oberoi hotel, said the gunmen burst into its restaurant and herded diners upstairs. He said he believed they were looking for British and US visitors.
They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, 'Don't be a hero. Don't say you are British'.
I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
Mr Chamberlain said he and another man managed to escape the gunmen through a fire exit and stumbled through smoke that was filling the hotel.
They made their way to the lobby and emerged outside to find fire engines and 20 armed policemen "looking as scared as we were".
One taxi driver, Deepak Aswar, said at least 50 Koreans were trapped inside the Taj with their drivers waiting outside.
We were just getting ready to pick them up when we heard the first blast. Police did not let us get past and they [the Koreans] are not answering the phones."
Sajjad Karim, a Conservative MEP in a delegation of European lawmakers visiting Mumbai ahead of a European Union-India summit, was among several people to barricade themselves inside the Taj Mahal hotel.
Shivraj Patil, minister for home affairs in India, said there were about four or five attackers in each of the two hotels.
They have attacked hotels, they have attacked the hospitals, they have attacked the railway station."
Late last night, officials said four suspects had been killed and nine arrested.
Political reaction to the attacks was swift. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, promised a "vigorous" response.
He said: "I have sent a message to prime minister [Manmohan] Singh that the UK stands solidly with his government as they respond, and to offer all necessary help.
Urgent action is under way to offer every possible protection to British citizens in the region."
US state department spokesman Robert Wood said US officials were not aware of any American casualties, but were still checking. He said he could not address reports that westerners might be among the hostages.
US president-elect Barack Obama said: "These co-ordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism.
The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks."
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said he could not give any indication of the number of Britons involved in the incident and could not comment on reports that British people were being targeted.
He said the Foreign Office was advising all British nationals to stay indoors.
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years. Most have been blamed on Islamist militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists thought to be behind some of the attacks.
Since October 2005, nearly 700 people have died in the bombings. And since May a militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen had taken credit for a string of blasts that have killed more than 130.
The most recent was in September when a series of explosions struck a park and crowded shopping areas in the capital, New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding about 100 others.
Mumbai has been hit repeatedly by terror attacks since March 1993, when Muslim underworld figures tied to Pakistani militants allegedly carried out a series of bombings on Mumbai's stock exchange, trains, hotels and gas stations. Authorities say those attacks, which killed 257 people and wounded more than 1,100, were carried out to avenge the deaths of hundreds of Muslims in religious riots which had swept India.
In 2003, 52 people were killed in Mumbai bombings blamed on Muslim militants and in July 2007 a series of seven blasts ripped through railway trains and commuter rail stations. At least 187 died in those attacks.
On July 11, 2006 there was a series of explosions on commuter trains in western Mumbai, leaving more than 180 people dead and hundreds injured.
In some areas of the country there are terrorist incidents "virtually on a daily basis", according to the Foreign Office.
As recently as 30 October, 11 bombs exploded in Assam where a 30- year insurgency campaign by ultranationalists is taking place, killing 77 people and injuring more than 300.
Relations between Hindus, who make up more than 80 percent of India's population, and Muslims, who make up about 14 per cent, have been relatively peaceful since British-ruled India was split into independent India and Pakistan in 1947, but there have been sporadic bouts of violence.
Terrorism expert Paul Wilkinson, emeritus professor of international relations at St Andrews University, said last night's attacks were likely to have been mounted by a group linked to al- Qaeda.
Extremist groups which share the ideology of al-Qaeda believe they must make war on western countries, as well as on the governments and authorities of all the countries they want to take control over.
It is really in their eyes an attack on the world of unbelievers and they regard the western countries, particularly the US and its allies as being particularly attractive targets.
It is too early to specify a particular group because we know there have been a number in terrorist outrages recently in India. not just in Mumbai, but in Delhi and by the Kashmir border."
Prof Wilkinson said that Kashmiri terrorists had been active recently, but that the targets and level of co-ordination pointed to Islamic extremists.
A claim by the Deccan Mujahideen to be behind the attacks also indicated Islamic terrorists, he said, adding: "It does indicate that a group calling itself Mujahideen sees themselves as holy warriors for the jihadi cause.
The attacks on a hospital and the co-ordinated nature of the attacks suggest a jihadi movement. That is the type of thing they have done in the past."
The Foreign Office last night issued an emergency number - 0207 0080 000 - for people worried about friends or relatives.
PROFILE
FORMERLY known as Bombay, Mumbai was renamed in 1996 to reflect its pronunciation by speakers of Marathi, the official language of the state of Maharashtra.
The city is the country's financial capital and, with an estimated 13 million people, is one of the most populous cities in the world.
Lying on the west coast of India, Mumbai has a deep natural harbour and its port handles more than half of India's maritime cargo.
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5 per cent of India's GDP. It accounts for 25 per cent of the country's industrial output and 70 per cent of capital transactions to India's economy.
Mumbai is one of the world's top ten centres of commerce and is also home to the national stock exchange and the Bollywood film industry.
The high standard of living available, and the numerous business opportunities, attract migrants from throughout India to the city.
In July 2006, seven blasts ripped through railway stations and commuter trains in the city, killing at least 187 people.
(c) 2008 Scotsman, The. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
A SERIES of co-ordinated terror attacks - seemingly targeting Britons and Americans - left at least 78 people dead and more than 200 injured in the Indian city of Mumbai last night.
Heavily armed gunmen opened fire on the city's crowded main railway station, as well as at hospitals, a police headquarters, luxury hotels and a restaurant popular with tourists.
Eye-witnesses caught up in the chaos in India's financial capital said the gunmen were specifically looking for Britons and Americans. The attacks appeared aimed at foreigners, with reports claiming that westerners were being held hostage at two five-star hotels in the city.
An explosion rocked one of the hotels, the seaside landmark Taj Mahal, followed by raging fires.
Firefighters were last night still trying to rescue people trapped by the flames. They placed ladders against the hotel to rescue people, who were seen hanging out of second-floor windows.
Gunfire could be held in the city for several hours.
The motive for the attacks remained unclear late last night. However, Mumbai has been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists several times in recent years.
An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind attacks, local television channels reported. The relatively unknown group sent an e-mail to news organisations claiming responsibility.
The gunmen attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Cafe Leopold, the best-known restaurant in Mumbai, along with the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels. The locations are all popular with tourists.
Reports claimed India's anti-terrorism chief, Hemant Karkare, was also killed in the attacks.
Alex Chamberlain, a British sports writer who had been dining at the Oberoi hotel, said the gunmen burst into its restaurant and herded diners upstairs. He said he believed they were looking for British and US visitors.
They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, 'Don't be a hero. Don't say you are British'.
I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
Mr Chamberlain said he and another man managed to escape the gunmen through a fire exit and stumbled through smoke that was filling the hotel.
They made their way to the lobby and emerged outside to find fire engines and 20 armed policemen "looking as scared as we were".
One taxi driver, Deepak Aswar, said at least 50 Koreans were trapped inside the Taj with their drivers waiting outside.
We were just getting ready to pick them up when we heard the first blast. Police did not let us get past and they [the Koreans] are not answering the phones."
Sajjad Karim, a Conservative MEP in a delegation of European lawmakers visiting Mumbai ahead of a European Union-India summit, was among several people to barricade themselves inside the Taj Mahal hotel.
Shivraj Patil, minister for home affairs in India, said there were about four or five attackers in each of the two hotels.
They have attacked hotels, they have attacked the hospitals, they have attacked the railway station."
Late last night, officials said four suspects had been killed and nine arrested.
Political reaction to the attacks was swift. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, promised a "vigorous" response.
He said: "I have sent a message to prime minister [Manmohan] Singh that the UK stands solidly with his government as they respond, and to offer all necessary help.
Urgent action is under way to offer every possible protection to British citizens in the region."
US state department spokesman Robert Wood said US officials were not aware of any American casualties, but were still checking. He said he could not address reports that westerners might be among the hostages.
US president-elect Barack Obama said: "These co-ordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism.
The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks."
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said he could not give any indication of the number of Britons involved in the incident and could not comment on reports that British people were being targeted.
He said the Foreign Office was advising all British nationals to stay indoors.
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years. Most have been blamed on Islamist militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists thought to be behind some of the attacks.
Since October 2005, nearly 700 people have died in the bombings. And since May a militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen had taken credit for a string of blasts that have killed more than 130.
The most recent was in September when a series of explosions struck a park and crowded shopping areas in the capital, New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding about 100 others.
Mumbai has been hit repeatedly by terror attacks since March 1993, when Muslim underworld figures tied to Pakistani militants allegedly carried out a series of bombings on Mumbai's stock exchange, trains, hotels and gas stations. Authorities say those attacks, which killed 257 people and wounded more than 1,100, were carried out to avenge the deaths of hundreds of Muslims in religious riots which had swept India.
In 2003, 52 people were killed in Mumbai bombings blamed on Muslim militants and in July 2007 a series of seven blasts ripped through railway trains and commuter rail stations. At least 187 died in those attacks.
On July 11, 2006 there was a series of explosions on commuter trains in western Mumbai, leaving more than 180 people dead and hundreds injured.
In some areas of the country there are terrorist incidents "virtually on a daily basis", according to the Foreign Office.
As recently as 30 October, 11 bombs exploded in Assam where a 30- year insurgency campaign by ultranationalists is taking place, killing 77 people and injuring more than 300.
Relations between Hindus, who make up more than 80 percent of India's population, and Muslims, who make up about 14 per cent, have been relatively peaceful since British-ruled India was split into independent India and Pakistan in 1947, but there have been sporadic bouts of violence.
Terrorism expert Paul Wilkinson, emeritus professor of international relations at St Andrews University, said last night's attacks were likely to have been mounted by a group linked to al- Qaeda.
Extremist groups which share the ideology of al-Qaeda believe they must make war on western countries, as well as on the governments and authorities of all the countries they want to take control over.
It is really in their eyes an attack on the world of unbelievers and they regard the western countries, particularly the US and its allies as being particularly attractive targets.
It is too early to specify a particular group because we know there have been a number in terrorist outrages recently in India. not just in Mumbai, but in Delhi and by the Kashmir border."
Prof Wilkinson said that Kashmiri terrorists had been active recently, but that the targets and level of co-ordination pointed to Islamic extremists.
A claim by the Deccan Mujahideen to be behind the attacks also indicated Islamic terrorists, he said, adding: "It does indicate that a group calling itself Mujahideen sees themselves as holy warriors for the jihadi cause.
The attacks on a hospital and the co-ordinated nature of the attacks suggest a jihadi movement. That is the type of thing they have done in the past."
The Foreign Office last night issued an emergency number - 0207 0080 000 - for people worried about friends or relatives.
PROFILE
FORMERLY known as Bombay, Mumbai was renamed in 1996 to reflect its pronunciation by speakers of Marathi, the official language of the state of Maharashtra.
The city is the country's financial capital and, with an estimated 13 million people, is one of the most populous cities in the world.
Lying on the west coast of India, Mumbai has a deep natural harbour and its port handles more than half of India's maritime cargo.
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5 per cent of India's GDP. It accounts for 25 per cent of the country's industrial output and 70 per cent of capital transactions to India's economy.
Mumbai is one of the world's top ten centres of commerce and is also home to the national stock exchange and the Bollywood film industry.
The high standard of living available, and the numerous business opportunities, attract migrants from throughout India to the city.
In July 2006, seven blasts ripped through railway stations and commuter trains in the city, killing at least 187 people.
(c) 2008 Scotsman, The. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
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