series of terrorist attacks targeting multiple targets in Mumbai began on Wednesday, November 26, shortly after 10:30 PM local time (6:00 PM GMT). Men armed with machine guns and grenades launched a series of coordinated attacks on the central train station, a hospital, and two luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi/Trident. A group calling itself the “Deccan Mujahideen” claimed responsibility for the attacks. Throughout the night, Indian security forces battled the gunmen around the two hotels. On Friday, around 7:30 AM, special forces soldiers rappelled from a helicopter onto the roof of a Jewish religious center in Mumbai, where terrorists had taken hostages. In the morning, Indian forces continued their operations: at least 93 people, mostly foreign nationals, were freed from the Oberoi more than 36 hours after the attacks. By 2:30 PM, the Oberoi Hotel was under control. At 5:30 PM, the army launched an assault on the Taj Mahal to neutralize the last remaining extremists. Around 7:00 PM, the Indian special forces ended their operation at the Orthodox Jewish religious center, where Muslims were holding hostages. Six Israelis were found dead. Among the other foreigners killed in the attacks were at least five Americans, two French, two Canadians, and one Italian. In the early hours of Saturday, Indian commandos continued operations to regain control of the Taj Mahal, where two or three armed extremists were still barricaded. “This is the final assault,” Police Chief Hassan Gafoor stated shortly thereafter. Around 8:30 AM, the announcement was made that the attacks on Mumbai were over and that all extremists had been killed. Fifteen terrorists took part in the operation, 14 of whom were killed and one captured; 163 people were killed, including 27 foreigners; and 293 were injured. The captured terrorist says he is Pakistani and that the action had been carefully prepared for 6 months and had the objective of causing 5000 victims and demolishing the Taj Mahal to provoke the Indian 9/11. The Israelis, the Americans (6) and the English were in the crosshairs. 10 are the sites targeted by the terrorists.
