Mumbai terror attack: Death toll rises to 125

{image-taj hotel_28112008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Mumbai: Nov.28 : Almost 48 hours after nearly twenty terrorists carried out planned and synchronized serial attacks across southern Mumbai, leaving 125 people dead and 327 injured, the National Security Guard (NSG) said on Friday morning that they were close to mopping their search and counter-attack operations inside the Taj hotel and at Nariman House.

The firefight at the third encounter site - the Trident Oberoi continues. At 4 a.m. this morning, it was reported that all civilians holed up inside the Taj hotel had been rescued, while an hour-and-a-half earlier, seven had been rescued from Nariman House after a power blackout. It was also stated that six to eight personnel of Mumbai's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had entered the Trident-Oberoi, and that NSG commandos had cleared 17 floors of the Oberoi section of the hotel. NSG chief J.K. Dutt told media persons in Mumbai that one terrorist inside the Taj hotel has been injured, and "I think we will be able to mop up the operation there very quickly."

He said the injured terrorist would be captured soon.

As far as the operations at the Trident-Oberoi were concerned, Dutt said two terrorists are still holed up on the eighth floor of the Oberoi section of the hotel while the combing operation in the Trident section has been completed.

"As far as Trident is concerned, we have been able to completely clean up and we do not have any report of any terrorist being holed up over there. As far as Oberoi is concerned, yes, we He said that the operation to clean up the Nariman House was still going on.

Two grenade blasts were heard at Nariman House. Unconfirmed reports said three terrorists, including a Pakistani national, had been arrested by security forces at the Taj hotel.

See in Pics: Mumbai terror attacks

The arrested terrorist was identified as Ajmal Amir Kamal, a resident of Faridkot, Multan. All three are said to be affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, reports said.

Late on Thursday night, the Union Home Ministry confirmed the death and injury toll as being 125 and 327 so far. It said that among the dead were 14 police personnel, including three senior officers, six foreigners and a Home Guard personnel. Of the 327 people injured, 26 were policemen, 294 Indians and seven foreigners, it added.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has thanked world leaders and his counterparts across the globe for their words of support and offers of assistance, but said that India has the wherewithal to deal with coordinated terror strikes.

"We are monitoring and tackling the situation ourselves and will bring the culprits to book in no time. However, it is taking time because we want to avoid civilian casualties," Mukherjee told a television channel over phone.

He confirmed that he had received telephone calls from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as also the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Oman, Israel and the Secretary General of the Arab League, and appreciated their gesture.

He also said information was being collected about reports that Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels were chasing down two ships off the Gujarat coast, which are suspected to have facilitated the landing of the terrorists in Mumbai.

ANI