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Armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, a couple of terrorists entered the passenger hall of CST and opened fire and threw grenades, Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A K Sharma said. The terror strike which began at 10:33 PM at Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus(CST), formerly known as the Victoria Terminus(VT), claimed 10 lives in the premises of the station alone, police said. Three persons were killed in a bomb explosion in a taxi on Mazegaon dockyard road and an equal number were gunned down at Taj Hotel. The victims in the hotel were its employees. The lobby of the Oberoi hotel was on fire and the hotel evacuated, eyewitnesses said. Maharashtra DGP A N Roy said tonight's attack in "at least seven places" is a "terror strike." Sharma said 30 persons were injured in the CST incident. Commandoes were rushed to the CST which wore a deserted look and train services suspended. Some people were injured in the firing in Oberoi hotel, and taken to a nearby hospital in police vans and ambulance. Firing was also reported in Taj hotel. Firing was reported at Colaba, Nariman Point and near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, formerly Victoria Terminus and it was still continuing. Firing was also reported at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, police said, adding that a blast was reported in a taxi under a flyover in suburban Vile Parle. A bomb went off in a taxi in Mazegaon dockyard road. SRPF personnel then entered the iconic BMC building -- just opposite CST -- to take aim at the assailants, BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak said. "We fear some of the assailants are still inside the station and we want to catch them if they come out," a police official said. Vikhroli police station senior inspector Habib Ansari was on his way to work from his Colaba home when he saw two armed men, with sophisticated weaponry, trying to run into bylanes near the Gateway of India. "I rushed back to Colaba and all policemen, including GRP and RPF personnel, were called up," he added. Bhisham Mansukhani, a journalist, was attending a wedding reception at the Taj's Crystal Room. "I was inside the bar when glass shards almost hit my eye," he said. "More than 200 people were escorted inside Chambers, a business centre inside the hotel," he added. Terror attacks in Mumbai; 80 dead, over 250 injured 27 Nov 2008, 0000 hrs IST, TIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES | |
| MUMBAI: Terror struck the country's financial capital late on Wednesday night as coordinate serial explosions and indiscriminate firing rocked
At least 80 people were dead and 250 injured in the terror attacks, hospital sources said. Two terrorists were still inside the Oberoi Hotel and commando operation was on. Two terrorists were killed at Chaupatti in Mumbai, police said. Terrorists hijacked white police jeep near Metro cinema in South Mumbai . Firing was also reported near Maharashtra state assembly building in South Mumbai. Armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, a couple of terrorists entered the passenger hall of CST and opened fire and threw grenades, Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A K Sharma said. The terror strike which began at 10:33 PM at Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus(CST), formerly known as the Victoria Terminus(VT), claimed 10 lives in the premises of the station alone, police said. Three persons were killed in a bomb explosion in a taxi on Mazegaon dockyard road and an equal number were gunned down at Taj Hotel. The victims in the hotel were its employees. The lobby of the Oberoi hotel was on fire and the hotel evacuated, eyewitnesses said. Maharashtra DGP A N Roy said tonight's attack in "at least seven places" is a "terror strike." Sharma said 30 persons were injured in the CST incident. Commandoes were rushed to the CST which wore a deserted look and train services suspended. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is cutting his Kerala visit and returning to Mumbai. He described the situation in Mumbai as "very serious". Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condemned terror attacks in Mumbai and assured Maharashtra government of all assistance. The NSG commandos were on standby and national disaster response force unit is being rushed to Mumbai, the Ministry of Home Affairs officials said. Some people were injured in the firing in Oberoi hotel, and taken to a nearby hospital in police vans and ambulance. Firing was also reported in Taj hotel. Firing was reported at Colaba, Nariman Point and near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, formerly Victoria Terminus and it was still continuing. Firing was also reported at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, police said, adding that a blast was reported in a taxi under a flyover in suburban Vile Parle. A bomb went off in a taxi in Mazegaon dockyard road. SRPF personnel then entered the iconic BMC building -- just opposite CST -- to take aim at the assailants, BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak said. "We fear some of the assailants are still inside the station and we want to catch them if they come out," a police official said. Vikhroli police station senior inspector Habib Ansari was on his way to work from his Colaba home when he saw two armed men, with sophisticated weaponry, trying to run into bylanes near the Gateway of India. "I rushed back to Colaba and all policemen, including GRP and RPF personnel, were called up," he added. Bhisham Mansukhani, a journalist, was attending a wedding reception at the Taj's Crystal Room. "I was inside the bar when glass shards almost hit my eye," he said. "More than 200 people were escorted inside Chambers, a business centre inside the hotel," he added. |
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Terror attacks in Mumbai; 80 dead, over 250 injured
Deaths in Mumbai 'terror' attacks
At least 25 people are reported to have been killed and dozens of others wounded in a series of shootings across the Indian city of Mumbai. "It seems to be a terrorist attack, many places are under siege by gunmen," A.K. Sharma, a Mumbai government railway police commissioner, told a local television on Wednesday. Armed men opened fire on a crowded Mumbai train station, a restaurant popular with tourists and several luxury hotels. "They entered the passenger hall of the station and started firing," Sharma said. "The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed. The encounters are still going on and we are trying to overpower them," A.N. Roy, a senior police officer, said. Police said at least ten people were taken to hospital following the shoot-out outside the city's main Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station and the nearby Leopold restaurant in the Colaba district. They said attacks had been launched on about eight places in Mumbai, India's main financial centre. One police officer said many places were under siege by gunmen. Three members of staff were shot dead at the luxury Taj Mahal hotel in Colaba district, the Press Trust of India reported. Another three people died in a bomb blast in a taxi in the south east of the city. 'Serious attack' One woman, who gave her name as Souad, escaped an attack on the Oberoi hotel in the city. She told Al Jazeera: "We heard no alarms, nothing. My husband opened the door and we couldn't see outside - it was so dark with all the smoke - we couldn't breathe. "We were on the 17th floor of the hotel and we used towels to protect ourselves and then ran and got a taxi and then we just drove as far away as we could." Speaking from Mumbai, Al Jazeera's Riz Khan said: "This was a serious attack by people armed with AK47s. "The police were taken by surprise ... they are not equipped for this type of attack, which would have been organised as it struck several areas at once. "There are people still trapped inside the rail terminal." "Seeing these two major landmarks - the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels - on fire is psychologically damaging for people in India and is comparable to the affects the September 11 attacks had on Americans in 2001." 'Nowhere safe' He said landmarks and heavily populated areas had come under attack. Police said there were reports of shootings in other parts of the city, including some in five-star hotels. Al Jazeera's Matt McClure said: "There was at least five attacks - the largest on a Mumbai railstation and there were three on large, luxury hotels. Several dozen people have been wounded. "It seems clear what the intent is here - to sow fear and leave people worried and thinking 'nowhere is safe'. Police have cordoned-off the areas, while TV channels said guests at the nearby luxury Taj Mahal hotel in Colaba had been warned to stay indoors or not to return. Co-ordinated attacks India has witnessed a series of co-ordinated attacks in recent months. A little-known Islamic group, the Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahedeen, claimed responsibility for serial blasts last month in which 80 people died in India's northeast state of Assam. A total of 12 explosions shook the northeastern state, six of them ripping through crowded areas in the main city of Guwahati. Six weeks earlier, the capital New Delhi had been hit by a series of bombs in crowded markets that left more than 20 people dead, the attacks were claimed by a group calling itself the Indian Mujahedeen. |
16 killed in Mumbai terror attack
November 26, 2008 22:40 IST
Last Updated: November 27, 2008 01:02 IST
Last Updated: November 27, 2008 01:02 IST
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.
Earlier Report: Terror struck the country's financial capital late tonight as coordinate serial explosions and indiscriminate firing rocked eight areas across Mumbai including the crowded CST railway station, two five star hotels--Oberoi and Taj-- leaving 16 persons dead and 50 injured.
Armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, a couple of terrorists entered the passenger hall of CST and opened fire and threw grenades, Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A K Sharma said.
The terror strike which began at 1033 PM at Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus(CST), formerly known as the Victoria Terminus(VT), claimed 10 lives in the premises of the station alone, police said.
Three persons were killed in a bomb explosion in a taxi on Mazegaon dockyard road and an equal number were gunned down at Taj Hotel. The victim in the hotel were its employees.
The lobby of the Oberoi hotel was on fire and the hotel evacuated, eyewitnesses said.
Maharashtra DGP A N Roy said tonight's attack in "at least seven places" is a "terror strike." Sharma said 30 persons were injured in the CST incident.
Commandoes were rushed to the CST which wore a deserted look and train services suspended. Some people were injured in the firing in Oberoi hotel, and taken to a nearby hospital in police vans and ambulance.
Firing was also reported in Taj hotel. Firing was reported at Colaba, Nariman Point and near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, formerly Victoria Terminus and it was still continuing.
Firing was also reported at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, police said, adding that a blast was reported in a taxi under a flyover in suburban Vile Parle. A bomb went off in a taxi in Mazegaon dockyard road.
According to Ashok Sharma, Commissioner of Police , Railways, "The incident of firing and bomb blast have happened at CST in Mumbai."
He told rediff.com, "Between the platform number two and eight these terrorists are running creating havoc."
He said that they are wearing black dresses and wielding AK 47-type weapons.
Two hand grenades were thrown from the Taj hotel on the policemen who had cordoned off the hotel. Police were evacuating many of the people who had gone for their evening dinner or were the guests at the hotel.
Some dead bodies too were taken out from the hotel and it is not clear how many terrorists have entered the hotel.
Bomb squads have reached hotel to defuse a live bomb that was found near Taj hotel.
The situation is tense and no one is allowed to venture near the hotel. The problem that policemen are facing is that they don't know how many terrorists have entered the hotel and where they are located.
The same is the case with another five star Oberoi hotel located one kilometer away from Taj Mahal hotel where some terrorists have entered and are firing from top.
Terrorists take over police car
Terrorists took over a police car and started firing at passers-by near Metro cinema in South Mumbai. Another terrorist, in a grey vehicle, was nabbed by the police near Chowpatty. The man, who was carrying a fire arm, had been firing at passers-by.
4 KILLED, 15 HURT IN MUMBAI TERROR ATTACK
Mumbai: At least four died and 15 people were when armed groups opened fire in places in south Mumbai on Thursday night. It was a terrorist attack, the police said.
Details are sketchy but it is believed that groups fired outside the CST Railway Terminus, Hotel Oberoi, the popular Café Leopold restaurant and Cama Hospital all in south Mumbai.
Reports say 10 gunmen are holed up inside Hotel Oberoi.
The first shooting took place near the CST police station in which six people were injured.
Police have cordoned off the CST Railway Terminus, a crowded place at this time of the evening, and have stopped entry.
Press Trust of India reports two persons armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades are holed up inside the CST station.
Mumbai’s police commissioner confirmed there had been shootouts in several places in the city.
Terrorists Target Mumbai Hotels
Breaking News
7:07pm UK, Wednesday November 26, 2008
Unknown terrorists have conducted a coordinated attack across Mumbai's major tourist hubs, with over a dozen deaths and many injuries reported.
Mumbai under high alert after the attacks hit major business and tourist hubs
Gunmen targeted luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks across India's financial capital.
At least 25 people have been wounded, according to police and witnesses.
The police commissioner A. Roy said: "The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed."
Gunmen opened fire on two of the city's best known Luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi.
They also attacked the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark.
It was not immediately clear what the motive was for the attacks.
A British eyewitness who was caught in one of the attacks, Alex Chamberlin, said there is "no doubt in my mind" that the attacks were the result of a fundamentalist Islamic terror attack.
Conservative MEPSajjad Karim was trapped in the Taj Palace Hotel in the southern part of the city as one of the attacks took place.
Tory MEP Witnessed Shootings
He told Sky News: "There was a lot of commotion in the main lobby, and then another gunman came right in front of us and started shooting.
"Isaw a number of people go down, but I was fortunate enough to get away."
He added: "We've no idea what is going on outside."
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Terrorists Target Mumbai Hotels
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