Posted on 11/27/2008 10:27:09 AM PST by mylife
Intermittent sounds of gunfire and explosions continued to break the stillness around two luxury hotels and a multi-storey building as security forces engaged in a fierce gunbattle with hiding terrorists, nearly 22 hours after terror struck prime locations in the city, leaving at least 125 dead. So far seven terrorists have been killed, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.
The situation around the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel and the Nariman Bhavan at Nariman Point - the three places where the battle with terrorists is raging - continued to be tension-filled on Thursday evening.
A loud explosion broke out at the Oberoi Trident and flames leapt out of the hotel windows in the evening. There was also a fresh fire at the Taj Hotel, in another section.
Chief Minister Deshmukh told mediapersons that so far seven terrorists had been eliminated in gunbattles with the security forces, as three more grenade explosions rocked the Taj Hotel.
The terrorists struck a total of 13 places in different parts of the city and suburbs, killing at least 101 people and injuring another 327, Deshmukh asserted.
The chief minister said six foreign nationals were killed and seven others have been injured in the terror attacks.
According to Deshmukh, there have been "no negotiations" with the terrorists. He said the operations would continue through the night and even till Friday morning if the situation so warranted.
He said that 800 army personnel, two units of the navy, 200 personnel of the crack National Security Guards (NSG) are involved in the operation to flush out, kill or capture the terrorists.
Extra teams of doctors have been deployed to treat victims at various hospitals. Arrangements have also been made in nearby hotels to provide alternative accommodation to the guests staying in the two hotels.
An eyewitness said that terrorists lobbed a grenade at approaching security forces as they surrounded Nariman Bhavan building and began attempts to storm it. At least six terrorists are believed to be hiding inside Nariman Bhavan, just behind the Oberoi Trident Hotel.
The crisis of hostages at the Taj Hotel ended by late afternoon, but security forces continued their operation to wrest control of the premises, even at the Oberoi Trident, nearly 22 hours after the first attacks.
The combined security operation, which includes the army, navy, National Security Guards, Anti-Terrorism Squad and police, at the Oberoi is expected to be intensified as the personnel carry out combing operations.
While south Mumbai, where most of the attacks took place, remained practically deserted, a few offices which chose to open in the suburban business hubs closed by 4 pm and people returned home.
Around 1 am on Thursday morning following an SOS by the state government, the Indian Navy sent a team of marine commandos to the Taj and Oberoi hotels.
A defence spokesman said they managed to enter the Taj around 2.45 am and started efforts to evacuate the occupants. However, they faced stiff resistance from the heavily armed terrorists who were well entrenched inside.
In the cross-firing in the night-long operations which still continues, two commandos were injured. The combing operations led to the recovery of a rucksack filled with a cache of arms and explosives.
These included plastic explosives, 8-9 loaded AK-47 magazines, large quantities of ammunition, hand grenades, detonators, batteries, wristwatches for IEDs, foreign currencies, fake credit cards, cash and dry fruits carried by the terrorists.
Navy ships and aircraft have been deployed to sanitize the Arabian Sea areas off the coast of Mumbai and investigate the movements of suspicious sea vessels and crafts with all security measures placed in high states of readiness.
The defence spokesman added that a suspicious looking vessel, MV Alpha, carrying general cargo was chased by a naval frigate and a fast attack craft. It was also contacted on radio and ordered to stop. It was finally intercepted and investigated at sea around 12.15 on Thursday afternoon.
Naval personnel engaged in checking the antecedents and documents of the ship and her crew, said later that everything was in order. The vessel, registered in Panama, arrived Mumbai nine days ago from Karachi and sailed out of Mumbai on Wednesday.
Your friends on the left would like to remind you that this is NOT about religion.
I’m serious:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/27/1515/8180/217/666945
The Islamic radicals have found friends in our liberals.
I know. They are bickering over it at DU too.
Idiots.
Mark
What exactly does our president elect have to say about this. Where the hell has he been? I have heard nothing from him in regards to the economy or this latest event.
Well, I’m waiting.
The Islamic radicals have found useful idiots in our liberals.
Fixed it for ya.
|
He is having turkey, some cognac, a cigar and some blow.
I feel differently.
I hear they are also anti-rectangular!
“Am i wrong in believing kossacks are the most beautiful people on earth who believe in worlds peace and welfare???”
LOL
Thanks for the link
I’m gonna’ post that nonsense from DailyKos, because it is the leftist/CNN/IBN spin on things.
Note that ZERO Americans have been killed, only a handful injured, and that AT LEAST 95 of the dead (94 percent) are INDIAN NATIONALS, including lots and lots of hotel and restaurant staff. For example the grenade/AK attack on the Chhatrapati Shivaji train was completely random, killed 10 and injured 30, no Westerners and no Americans. The journos shot at from the stolen police van were ALL INDIANS!
With that in mind, assess the following preposterous drivel from DailyKos (it’s also being postulated by CNN and its Indian partner TV station IBN Live):
INTENTION BEHIND POLLS IS TO STRESS THE FACT THE TERRORIST SHOULD NOT BE CATEGORISED BY RELIGION BUT ARE THOSE WHO ARE NOT FIT TO BE CIVILIZED HUMANS.AM EXTREMELY SORRY AS THE MOTIVE SEEMS TO BE LOST...
* DEMindia’s diary :: ::
*
Motive:
1.The terrorist are trying to take AMERICANS/BRITISH as hostages.
2.The terrorist wanted to target Indias capital cities and make it vulnerable economically...
3.Mumbai especially is the financial hub of the country and hence its been targeted repeatedly.
4.Mark it: The targets are top Indian CEOs, USA,UK and Jews not the common masses.
I noted one of the people killed in the train station was a mussie using his prayer rug.
If terrorists were defined as “THOSE WHO ARE NOT FIT TO BE CIVILIZED HUMANS”, the entire group on the left would automatically be terrorists instead of mostly idiots!
>>>>Live streaming TV news from CNN IBN in India:<<<<<
I’ve had them on since 8AM EST and they (that is, the news readers/anchors) postulate some really whacky stuff, such as:
1) (paraphrse) “This is an attack on America and Americans but on Indian spoil”
Of course 95 of the 105 known killed are Indian nationals, and there has been LITTLE TO NO eyewitness corroboration that even a single American was “targeted”.
2) “Will new security measures make India a police state?” (again my paraphrase)
They kept beating and beating on this one for a long time, don’t recall that they ever got an affirmative answer from any person they interviewed, but they kept harping on the question/assertion.
Disgusting, a little CNN clone with all of the characteristic journalistic abuse and complete disregard for ethics and simple honesty.
Although we have not heard from them yet (not unusual), it seems likely that my wife’s family in extreme north Mumbai is safe and we are thankful for that.
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