Nov 28 2008
Mumbai Siege Over, Says Indian Media
After nearly 60 hours, dozens of killings and the destruction of many high-profile buildings, the “Battle of Mumbai” is finally coming to a close.
According to Somini Sengupta and Keith Bradsher of the New York Times, the Indian media has reported that the last remaining Muslim terrorists who carried out a wave of attacks in the heart of the nation’s commercial center have been killed by members of India’s security forces.
J.K. Dutt, the director general of the National Security Guard, held a press conference earlier today just outside the Taf hotel, where the remaining attackers made a last stand. Dutt informed reporters that three of the terrorists who had been holed up there are now dead.
“We found the dead bodies of two terrorists inside the hotel lobby,” he said. “They had AK-47 guns on them.”
Dutt made it clear to his audience that he could not give them confirmation as to whether the hotel was completely free of terrorists.
“I can’t say that our operation is over,” he said, according to the IDN report. “To make sure that there is no other threat, we are still searching each and every room of the hotel.”
“The killings at the Taj came on the third day of a siege that has shaken India, raised tensions with neighboring Pakistan and prompted searing questions about the failure of the authorities to anticipate the tragedy or to react swiftly enough as it unfolded,” Senguta and Bradsher write.
By any measure, the recent wave of terrorist attacks has had a devastating toll on Mumbai. At least 160 deaths and 327 injuries have been confirmed. Although it appears that Westerners were the chief target of the terrorists, most of the casualties have been Indians. So far, 22 foreign nationals are listed among the dead.
Source: The New York Times
I’m sure in coming days, we will hear much regarding “incestuous” ties this group has to other known terrorits groups. I also heard the report you cited about the target being Westerners, yet the majority of the victims Indian… so macabre. So what do we think and feel about a group of people who captured the world’s attention and held the U.S. media hostage throughout a national holiday of “thanks”? Who won? Just a question-at-large… Good work with this PA! ~k
I don’t think that there’s any coincidence that these attacks happened after the election. Surely, if a terrorist attack on Westerners (which appears to have been the case, even if most of the victims weren’t Westerners) happened before the election, it would have helped McCain.
“I also heard the report you cited about the target being Westerners, yet the majority of the victims Indian… so macabre.”
Isn’t that the way it always is? Look at Iraq, despite the efforts of the insurgents to drive out the American military, they’ve killed far more of their own people than they have American troops.
“Surely, if a terrorist attack on Westerners (which appears to have been the case, even if most of the victims weren’t Westerners) happened before the election, it would have helped McCain.”
Interesting theory although i’m sure BO would still have won.