13 years ago, on this day …
Thirteen years ago, on this day, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists attacked the country’s financial capital, Mumbai. They targeted various crowded locations across the city, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Hotel Trident, Nariman House, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, among others.
Nine of the 10 terrorists were gunned down by the National Security Guard (NSG) and Mumbai Police but not before they had killed 166 people, including security personnel—most directly and some indirectly, for example, due to the fire at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
A brief sequence of events:
November 26: 10 Lashkar terrorists arrived in Mumbai from Karachi on speedboats. Late evening, the first reports began streaming. Though the initial reports state a ‘gang war’, it soon became clear that it was a terrorist attack.
Four terrorists entered the Taj, two entered the Trident and two others, the Nariman House. The remaining two, including Ajmal Kasab, the only one caught alive, opened fire inside the CSMT, killing 58 people and injuring more than 100. These two then moved towards Cama Hospital. On the way, they ambushed and killed six police officials, including Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte.
The duo then fled in the officers’ jeep but are intercepted by the Mumbai Police. In the ensuing scuffle, one was killed while Kasab was arrested. Constable Tukaram Ombale was killed in action.
November 27: Army soldiers and Marine commandos surrounded the hostage sites–Taj, Trident and Nariman House. The NSG, deployed to storm the sites, launched Operation Black Tornado.
November 28: Commandos finished the operation at the Trident, as well as Nariman House.
November 29: The attacks came to an end with the NSG securing the Taj.
The attacks led to a spate of resignations, including those of the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
