The couple’s son, Moshe and the cook managed to escape twelve hours into the siege. At St, George hospital and JJ hospital body bags kept coming in. An approximate larger number of hostages were under siege here than at the Taj. [63] A gun battle then ensued in which Khan was killed and Kasab was wounded. The captain of 'Kuber', Amar Singh Solanki, had earlier been imprisoned for six months in a Pakistani jail for illegally fishing in Pakistani waters. [144][145] Witnesses reported that they seemed to be in their early twenties, wore black T-shirts and jeans, and that they smiled and looked happy as they shot their victims. [153] The other nine attackers killed during the onslaught were Hafiz Arshad alias Abdul Rehman Bada, Abdul Rahman Chhota, Javed alias Abu Ali, Fahadullah alias Abu Fahad, Ismail Khan alias Abu Ismail, Babar Imran alias Abu Akasha, Nasir alias Abu Umar, Nazir alias Abu Umer and Shoaib alias Abu Soheb. On 23 January 2013, he was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison. [66], There were two explosions in taxis caused by timer bombs. [31][32] In 2018, former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif suggested that the Pakistani government played a role in the 2008 Mumbai attack. An Indian man (C) feeds pigeons outside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel on the second anniversary of the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2010. A new National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was proposed to be set up by the then-Home Minister P. Chidambaram as an office to collect, collate, summarise, integrate, analyse, co-ordinate and report all information and inputs received from various intelligence agencies, state police departments, and other ministries and their departments. Kasab, in his confessional account, acknowledged this plot, as did David Coleman Headley, who corroborated this account by confirming that the sacred threads to be worn around the terrorists' wrists to identify them as Hindus, were procured from Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple. One Less God (2017) Directed by Lliam Worthington, One Less God is about a group of international travellers trying to survive amidst the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. [277][278], "26/11" redirects here. [140], Type 86 Grenades made by China's state-owned Norinco were used in the attacks. [142] The gunman who survived said that the attackers had used Google Earth to familiarise themselves with the locations of buildings used in the attacks. [38] On 13 March 2003, a day after the 10th anniversary of the 1993 Bombay bombings, a bomb exploded in a train compartment near the Mulund station, killing 10 people and injuring 70. Evacuation of hostages take place in batches. officers provided support to Lashkar-e-Taiba militants who carried out the attacks. [126], US officials believed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I.) In transcripts intercepted by Indian authorities between the attackers and their handlers, the handlers provided the attackers with encouragement, tactical advice, and information gained from media coverage. [111], The Indian government supplied evidence to Pakistan and other governments, in the form of interrogations, weapons, and call records of conversations during the attacks. [100] In November 2009, Pakistani authorities charged seven men they had arrested earlier, of planning and executing the assault.[14]. Headley, a Pakistani-American, was charged in November 2009 with scouting locations for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. 6:30 am: A team of 200 commandos reached Mumbai from New Delhi and took charge of the rescue operations in Taj and Oberoi. 7: 25 pm: A fire is reported to have broken out in the 4th floor. It's been 10 years since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks but memories of the horrible carnage that killed 180 people and injured over 300, remain fresh. The following day, the house was stormed by NSG commandos fast-roping from helicopters onto the roof, covered by snipers positioned in nearby buildings. [246], Kasab filed a mercy petition with the President of India, which was rejected on 5 November. [65] Two attackers, Shoaib alias Soheb and Nazir alias Abu Umer,[56] opened fire on the cafe on the evening of 26 November between 9.30 and 9.48 pm, killing 10 people (including some foreigners) and injuring many more. [40] On 25 August 2003, two bombs exploded in South Mumbai, one near the Gateway of India and the other at Zaveri Bazaar in Kalbadevi. In addition, many Indian bloggers offered live textual coverage of the attacks. Ansari's interrogation further revealed that Sajid Mir and a Pakistani Army major visited India under fake names as cricket spectators to survey targets in Delhi and Mumbai for about a fortnight. Historically it was known as the "Taj Mahal Hotel" or simply "the Taj". The LeT operative David Headley (born Daood Sayed Gilani) in his testimony before a Chicago federal court during co-accused Tahawwur Rana's trial revealed that Mumbai Chabad House was added to the list of targets for surveillance given by his Inter Services Intelligence handler Major Iqbal, though the Oberoi Hotel, one of the sites attacked, was not originally on the list. However, the actual trial started on 5 May 2012. November 2008 mit einem kleinen Boot von der pakistanischen Stadt Karatschi aus abgelegt und seien innerhalb der nächsten Stunde auf ein größeres Boot übernommen worden, auf welchem sich Unterstützer ihrer Mission befunden hätten. More than 30 grenades had been hurled. [17] There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. The men, Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa, Mazhar Iqbal alias "Major Iqbal", are believed to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and helped plan and train the attackers. The Oberoi-Trident is the other icon of luxury and opulence in Mumbai that came under the deadly saws of the 26/11 attacks. Das Taj Mahal Palace (heute The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, früher auch Taj Mahal Palace & Tower) ist ein Luxushotel in der indischen Stadt Mumbai. The image of the front dome of Taj Mahal Palace hotel encapsulated with a large plume of smoke is one that is etched into the memory of every Mumbaikar. [236][237] The New York Times, in July 2009, described the event as "what may be the most well-documented terrorist attack anywhere".[238]. The court had accepted his plea, but due to the lack of completeness within his admittance, the judge had deemed that many of the 86 charges were not addressed and therefore the trial continued. 12:00 am: By midnight Mumbai Police surrounded the Taj. Actor Amitabh Bachchan has been the brand ambassador for the event over the years. However, the defence lawyers were barred from cross-examining the four prosecution witnesses in the case including Ajmal Kasab. The attackers then headed towards Cama Hospital with intent to kill patients,[61] but the hospital staff locked all of the patient wards. [118], An Indian report, summarising intelligence gained from India's interrogation of David Headley,[119] was released in October 2010. The second explosion took place at Wadi Bunder between 22:20 and 22:25. [112][113] In addition, Indian government officials said that the attacks were so sophisticated that they must have had official backing from Pakistani "agencies", an accusation denied by Pakistan. For the date, see, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Oberoi Trident, The expression "26/11" is pronounced "twenty-six eleven". [257] He was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on 17 January 2013. The Taj Mahal Palace and Trident-Oberoi Hotels provided ideal venues for killing many people and as final bastions for this type of attack. Many important personalities around the world also condemned the attacks. All but two of the suspects, many of whom are identified only through aliases, are Pakistani. Being much larger than Taj Mahal hotel in terms of spatial capacity, the rescue operation at the Oberoi-Trident was extremely slow. Small craters were all over the floor and bullet marks all across the walls. The caller first called the staffers of the Taj Mahal Palace in Colaba and threatened to attack the hotel as it was targetted in November 2008. [259], On the first anniversary of the event, the state paid homage to the victims of the attack. [77][78], Nariman House, a Chabad Lubavitch Jewish centre in Colaba known as the Mumbai Chabad House, was taken over by two attackers and several residents were held hostage. [12][13][14] The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday 26 November and lasted until Saturday 29 November 2008. At least 44 people were killed and 150 injured. The Indian mission in Islamabad informed the Pakistan government about Kasab's hanging through a letter. The fishermen's subsequent report to the police department received little response and local police were helpless.[55]. [34] The 1993 attacks were carried out in revenge for earlier religious riots that killed many Muslims. [252] On 17 July 2012, the court refused to take the findings of the Pakistani judicial commission as part of the evidence. The true story of the Taj Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai. [161] On 18 March 2010, Headley pleaded guilty to a dozen charges against him thereby avoiding going to trial. Further, bureaucratic failures had led to the security forces being able to enter the building only in the ev… [90][91] 32 hostages were killed at the Oberoi Trident. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai is conveniently located within touching distance to prominent tourist attractions in and around Mumbai. [73][74] Another British Conservative MEP, Syed Kamall, reported that he along with several other MEPs left the hotel and went to a nearby restaurant shortly before the attack. After a long battle, one NSG commando, Sergeant Gajender Singh Bisht, and both perpetrators were killed. Pakistan refused to take the letter, which was then faxed to them. 10:30 am: Fresh round of gun battle reported from within the building. The news of the attack on the Chabad House was quick to have international reverberations across similar Jewish centres across the world in more than 70 countries. His plea that he not be extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark was accepted. 26/11 was a watershed moment for India after which its outlook towards terrorism changed forever. From politicians to the country’s security agencies to the media, each failed in its responsibility that eventually claimed the lives of 166 individuals. Headley also helped ISI recruit Indian agents to monitor Indian troop levels and movements, according to a US official. Armed with AK 47s, ammunition and grenades, they made their way to the lobby area, firing on anyone and everyone who caught their sight. [58] The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others,[58] their assault ending at about 22:45. His family in Pakistan was sent news of his hanging via a courier. Police in Pakistan arrested seven people, including Hammad Amin Sadiq, a homoeopathic pharmacist, who arranged bank accounts and secured supplies. He was hanged in Yerwada jail in 2012. Dera Ismail Khan is in the North-West Frontier Province; the rest of the towns are in Pakistani Punjab. [22][23] Pakistan promised to assist in the investigation and President Zardari vowed "strong action against any Pakistani elements found involved in the attack". The court stated, "We are left with no option but to award death penalty. Such authors as Jeffrey Archer have used this term in their novels. The two hotels being interconnected, consist of 800 rooms between them. [57] Security forces and emergency services arrived shortly afterwards. As a true captain of the ship they deiced to be the last one to leave the ship. In the succeeding hours, evacuations took place in batches. [116][117] The then Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the Pakistani authorities had not shared any information about American suspects Headley and Rana, but that the FBI had been more forthcoming. [20] By the early morning of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj Hotel had been secured by the Mumbai Police and security forces. [273] Later as RSS filed a case against him, he had to apologise for it. [119] He alleged that "every big action of LeT is done in close coordination with [the] ISI. 10:10 pm: Gunfire began at the entrance of Trident with the gatekeeper being the first to fall prey. Dev Patel and Armie Hammer topline the … The attacks further strained India's slowly recovering relationship with Pakistan. Heroes Of Mumbai's Taj Hotel: Why They Risked Their Lives When a Mumbai hotel was besieged by terrorists in 2008, something extraordinary happened: Workers didn't flee. [171], At least 174 people, including civilians, security personnel and nine of the attackers, were killed in the attacks. Headley received training in small arms and countersurveillance from LeT, built a network of connections for the group, and was chief scout in scoping out targets for Mumbai attack[126][127] having allegedly been given $25,000 in cash in 2006 by an ISI officer known as Major Iqbal, The officer also helped him arrange a communications system for the attack, and oversaw a model of the Taj Hotel so that gunmen could know their way inside the target, according to Headley's testimony to Indian authorities. The bodies had been in the mortuary of a Mumbai hospital after Muslim clerics in the city refused to let them be buried on their grounds.[152]. ... away from the grinding poverty and infrastructural decay of Mumbai. [36] The bombing occurred on the 10th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. [68][69] At the Taj, firefighters rescued 200 hostages from windows using ladders during the first night. After murdering the captain, the attackers entered Mumbai on a rubber dinghy. [164] Security agencies had been chasing him for three years in Delhi. Mumbai terror attacks When the bullets started firing just after 9pm on 26 November 2008, Hemant Oberoi stayed calm. As reported by Ritu Sarin, at the end of the 40 hours of trigger alert at Oberoi, the site resembled a camp ravaged. [72] British Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sajjad Karim (who was in the lobby when attackers initially opened fire there) and German Social Democrat MEP Erika Mann were hiding in different parts of the building. When it ended all but one of the terrorists were dead. On 10 June 2011, Tahawwur Rana was acquitted of plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but was held guilty on two other charges. LeT had even given each terrorist a fake identity card listing an Indian address, to further strengthen the circumstantial narrative. In September 2008, these people tried sailing to Mumbai from Karachi, but couldn't complete their mission due to choppy waters. On 6 May 2010, he was sentenced to death by hanging. Kasab's trial was delayed due to legal issues, as many Indian lawyers were unwilling to represent him. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded. [130], The arrest of Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Hamza in June 2012 provided further clarity on how the plot was hatched. Police Had General Inputs About Possible Targets Before 26/11 The terrorists set off bombs under the central dome of the Taj Mahal hotel, setting off a massive fire, which later raged through the top floors of the Taj. Attack In Taj Hotel (Mumbai) On 26 November 2008, in a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the hotel (as well as the Oberoi) was attacked, during which material damage occurred including the destruction of the roof of the hotel in the hours afterwards. Explore more on Taj Attack. ("26/11: An RSS conspiracy?") 6: 45 pm: Explosions and gun battles continue throughout the day. [39] On 28 July 2003, a blast in a BEST bus in Ghatkopar killed 4 people and injured 32. The Maharashtra government planned to buy 36 speed boats to patrol the coastal areas and several helicopters for the same purpose. [88][89] Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan of the NSG was killed during the rescue of Commando Sunil Yadav, who was hit in the leg by a bullet during the rescue operations at Taj. Although the attackers were encouraged to murder hostages, the attackers were in communication with the news media via cell phones to make demands in return for the release of hostages. But the largest significance of 26/11 lay in the impact that it had on public emotion. The Leopold Cafe, a popular restaurant and bar on Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai, was one of the first sites to be attacked. [26] The Government of India stated that the attackers came from Pakistan, and their controllers were in Pakistan. [83][84], During the attacks, both hotels were surrounded by Rapid Action Force personnel and Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NSG) commandos. Rather, the attack on Taj symbolised something way more powerful. Es gehört zu den Leading Hotels of the World. They supplied the SIM cards, one in Calcutta, and the other in New Delhi. [80][81] Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg, who was six months pregnant, were murdered with four other hostages inside the house by the attackers. It was not just about the fear of the hundreds trapped inside or the multiple bombings and shootings or the fact that the iconic five-star hotel lay under siege for the longest period of time that made the Taj the face of the 26/11 attacks. Indian authorities said the prosecution stopped well short of top Lashkar leaders. Even after taking guests out of hotel they came back in again and rescued more guests. When one of the gunmen came upstairs, a bomb blew off at the petrol pump near the building. [108], Pakistani authorities finally agreed that Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani on 7 January 2009,[29][109][110] and registered a case against three other Pakistani nationals. [239] On 25 February 2009, Indian investigators filed an 11,000-page chargesheet, formally charging Kasab with murder, conspiracy, and waging war against India among other charges. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire[57] using AK-47 rifles. [224], Indians criticised their political leaders after the attacks, saying that their ineptness was partly responsible. The casualties occurred in the following locations, The government of Maharashtra announced about ₹500,000 (US$7,000) as compensation to the kin of each of those killed in the terror attacks and about ₹50,000 (US$700) to the seriously injured. UN proscribed terrorist Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab province. The third site to come under attack on 26/11 was the Leopold Cafe followed by Taj Mahal Hotel and Tower. This was believed to be done in order to further confuse Indian authorities that they were dealing with primarily a hostage situation. In September 2007, 10 people were selected for the mission. Groups of Muslims marched against the attacks[228] and mosques observed silence. If everything went according to plan, Kasab would have died as Chaudhari and the media would have blamed 'Hindu terrorists' for the attack. [120] The report included Headley's claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba's chief military commander, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, had close ties to the ISI. [64] A police officer, Tukaram Omble, was also killed when he tried to disarm Kasab by wrestling his weapon away from him. The eruption was strong enough to expose the top floor staircase. Find Taj Attack Latest News, Videos & Pictures on Taj Attack and see latest updates, news, information from NDTV.COM. The company employed over 20,000 people in the year 2010. There were also after-effects on the United States's relationships with both countries,[219] the US-led NATO war in Afghanistan,[220] and on the Global War on Terror. [274][275], Former National Security Advisor of India, Shivshankar Menon wrote Choices: Inside the Making of India's Foreign Policy. H Hostages were taken during the attacks. The attackers used both personal cell phones and those obtained from their victims to communicate with each other and the news media. Kasab was hanged in Pune's Yerwada jail in secret on 21 November 2012 at 7:30 am named as operation 'X'. On 29 November, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted Operation Black Tornado to flush out the remaining attackers; it culminated in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj Hotel and ended the attacks. However, the CTD did not reveal the place of his arrest. [70], A number of European Parliament Committee on International Trade delegates were staying in the Taj Hotel when it was attacked,[71] but none of them were injured. [125], David Headley was a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and between 2002 and 2009 Headley travelled extensively as part of his work for LeT. [221] FBI chief Robert Mueller praised the "unprecedented cooperation" between American and Indian intelligence agencies over the Mumbai terror attack probe.