20 hours on...Mumbai still under seige

Mumbai, Nov 27: The encounter reached final stages in the evening of Thursday, Nov 27 as fresh reports of just one terrorist holed up in The Taj is emerging.

NSG Director General Jyoti Krishan Dutt said that the first, second and third floors of Oberoi Hotel have been sanitised while the operation is in the finals stages at the Taj. Maharashtra Police claim that there is no hostage-like situation at the Taj. Militants have opened fire on the eighth floor of the Trident hotel in Mumbai, which is still under their siege. One terrorist has been caught alive from the Trident hotel by the commandos, reports say. Taj Hotel GM's wife and three children have been killed.

Operation will be over by tomorrow morning says Chief Minister of Maharshtra, Vilas Rao Deshmukh.

The Background

On Thursday, Nov 27, South Mumbai was soaked in blood due to terror attacks. 101 people were killed and 288 were injured in this worst massacre. At 21:30 IST, on Wednesday, Nov 26 certain casually dressed up guys fired at a restaurant, Cafe Leopold, popular among foreign tourists. After this encounter, between 2215 hrs IST and 2230 hrs, Taj Intercontinetal hotel was taken under seige where 2000 guests were stranded off.

The encounter between the Police and terrorists started and the gunbattle claimed lives of ATS chief, Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar. They were among the 11 police officials killed.
An hour after this horror, Mumbai police got an emergency call from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) Station at at 2233 hrs IST. A couple of terrorists entered the passenger hall of crowded CST railway station, formerly Victoria Terminus, and opened fire and threw a grenade killing two to three persons

Even late into night, terrorists targeted Vile Parle and Mazegaon suburbs in Navi Mumbai. Two blasts in these areas injured unspecified number of people, police officials said.

Six terrorists were shot dead and 9 terrorists detained in the Hotel. Two RDX were defused. At least four terrorists were holed up in the Taj Hotel where 40 to 50 guests were still trapped.

Five terrorists were killed and one was arrested. Search operations started at Taj. Around 25 hostages were stranded in Oberoi Hotel.

6 bodies were brought out of Taj Hotel. ACP Ashok Kamte body was brought to Pune.

Fresh explosion at Taj Hotel. Firing between NSG and terrorists at Oberoi Hotel. Grenade thrown from Nariman house and Oberoi Hotel at Police. 2 terrorist hit by bullets at Taj Hotel.

Gunbattle with terrorists on Taj's 4th floor. One NSG commando was injured. Navy and coastguard launch joint operation. Militants reported to have used Vietnamese ship, MV Alpha to reach Mumbai. 2 terrorists injured at Taj Hotel.

Gunshots were heard from Taj's new wing. First three floors of Oberoi gets cleared. Six foreigners die. Final assualt in the Oberoi and Taj.

OneIndia News