'Terrorists had set-up control rooms days before attack'

Mumbai, Nov 28: Terrorists who struck Mumbai had set up advance 'Control Rooms' in the luxury Taj and Trident (Oberoi) hotels which was also targeted and did prior reconnaissance executing plans worked 'over months', Union Cabinet minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday, Nov 27 night.

Sibal said the unprecedented terror attack in the country's financial capital was planned 'over months' and the terrorists were not carrying AK-47 rifles but sophisticated weapons like MP-6. "The terrorists have identified the targets earlier. Somebody had told them earlier. Enormous planning went into the incident. The terrorists were dropped by a mother ship and travelled in rubber boats which they docked (at Mumbai)," Sibal told a private news channel. Terrorists were not attacking people at random. It was a well though out plan, Sibal said.

They had targeted certain key police officers even when they were wearing vests and protective head gears, he said, adding the terrorists shot them dead within minutes of their arrival.

As security agencies pieced together various leads in the probe on India's worst ever terror strike, there were reports that a likely marine arm of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba may have been involved in the well-planned attacks that left 125 persons dead.

The Union Home Ministry said the terrorists chose the sea route and came to the city in boats before spreading out in the metropolis to carry out the sinister strike.

The assessment by the Centre as Mumbai continued to be under siege for the second day came amid reports that the leader of the armed terrorists involved in the attack was killed by his own men.

ANI