Mumbai 26/11 attack:

(courtesy:gunaah.com)

“ An seaborne invasion, not just a terrorist attack”

Mumbai 26/11

This was not another terrorist incident, not another bomb exploded in a train or an explosive laden cycle or taxi near residential area. Nor was it a reaction to the explosion on the Samjhauta Express or the Malegaon blasts or the carnage at Delhi and Bangalore.

The scale of the attack was different and so was the audacity and ferocity of the strike on what are primary landmarks in Mumbai.

The attack came out of nowhere from the sea and it came with the swiftness of a commondo raid.

This was a pre-planned external operation in co-operation with local networks. While the locals supplied intel and transport, the external force came in the form of about 20-25 armed terrorists who landed via two or more motorboats near Machhimar Colony, Cuffe Parade and fanned out in different directions.

Nearby fisherfolk at the Machhimar Colony subsequently informed the police that they had seen black jacketed men unloading large sacks from boats . So there is a possibility that more than one boat was used. One of the captured terrorist has indicated that their force comprised primarily of Kashmiris and Pakistani mercenaries. The use of local sympathisers could have come in form of providing cars and “pointmen” for seeking out targets and fleeing from the scene.

What is of importance is that this invasive force came via the Arabian Sea in boats heavily laden with arms and ammunition . The police strongly feel that there must have been a ‘mother’ship which brought the terrorists within the Mumbai coastline so that smaller boats could be deployed for transporting the terrorists for a ‘ drop’ near Cuffe Parade. In fact, the Coast Guard has launched a search for ship “ MV Alpha” which is supposed to have brought the terrorists within striking distance of the shore. But it is too late…the ship must have already made its way back.

One group of six or seven stormed into the five-star Taj Mahal hotel , taking the security by surprise. Using grenades and frenetically firing AK-47s, they overwhelmed hotel staff and security personnel , taking several foreign tourists hostage.

Another group captured the Hotel Trident( formerly Hotel Oberoi) at Nariman Point and using a similar modus operandi, quickly took over one floor of the hotel.

Both the five-star hotels has seen a war of attrition between the terrorists holding hostages inside the hotel premises and the anti-terrorists forces outside. The areas have been cordoned off and the battle was still on 15 hours after the attack. The anit-terrorists forces which consists of Black Cat commandoes and NSG personnel along with local policemen are waiting it out till the terrorists run out of ammunition.

The third group stormed into Leopold Café on Colaba Causeway which is just behind the Taj Mahal Hotel. This popular café, which was even described in the novel “ Shantaram “ is a popular hideout for tourists and the well-to-do who need to take a look at the seamier side on Mumbai. The terrorists started firing indiscriminately at the occupants of the café and then took off in a vehicle. In fact, Leopold Café was the first target before the terrorists fanned out in different directions using different vehicles.

The fourth group created maximum damage in terms of human casualties. They stormed into CST railway station (formerly VT station) and let loose with AK-47s. More than 40 home bound commuters died on the spot while the injured cannot be accounted for. This same group , after the indiscriminate firing at CST station, made their way to nearby Cama Hospital and after shooting their way in, took hostages.

The operation began around 9.30 a.m. and in 30 minutes, the terrorists had “captured” two five star hotels, a major train terminus and a hospital. So this was not just another terrorist act…it was an invasion , a commando attack launched with startling swiftness and executed with ruthless efficiency.

Mumbai Terror Attack: Well planned with gestation period Mumbai 26/11

The planning required a mother ship for high seas sailing, a couple of speedboats for landing ashore and a safe landing point near Machhimar Colony , Cuffe Parade which was free from suspicious eyes.

The arms and ammunition including AK-47s and hand grenades came in from the mother ship. It is believed that a consignment of RDX also came in because the police found eight kgs of RDX near Bade Mia’s , a roadside restaurant behind the Taj Mahal Hotel. This was to be used for a rear attack on the Taj but it never took off.

At least three vehicles were needed to transport the terrorists from the landing point to different areas of attack. The police are not sure as to how much arms and ammunition ,including RDX, hav been transferred using other vehicles to different parts of the city and suburbs. But there was an RDX explosion at Vile Parle in which a taxi blew up.

The entire operation indicates that the terrorists had local support. It also shows that it must have taken at least two months to plan and execute.

Meanwhile, the joint meeting between Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Kumar Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart, scheduled to be held at Chandigarh has been cancelled.

Are negotiations holding up the takeover operations ?

Mumbai 26/11

The battle between invading terrorists and the local security agencies which began on Wednesday evening continued for 48 hours and spilled into the afternoon of Friday afternoon. In the process, this long drawn out battle raised the question : were the Indian forces spearheaded by the NSG negotiating with the terrorists ? Is there a list of demands that we know nothing about ?

The local police were quick to cordon off the three targets : the TaJ Mahal Hotel near the Gateway of India, the Trident & The Oberoi at Nariman Point and Nariman House at Colaba . Not adequately armed to tackle AK-47 weilding and grenade throwing terrorists, the local police called in marine commandoes(known as Marcos) from nearby INS Angre in Colaba who kept a running battle going with the terrorist.

As the commanding officer of Marcos revealed(see box item), his men handed over charge to the NSG at around 10. a.m. on Thursday. Then the NSG took over and there was a distinct clamp down on information and images coming out of the three target areas.

All the three zones were hostage heavy targets and the majority were foreigners, particularly British and European. The hostages at Nariman House were Jewish including a rabbi and his wife and a newly married couple which had recently come in from the USA.

The presence of these hostages is the only reason for the long drawn out battle. It became very clear that the terrorists had a list of demands in hand when they took over the targets and were negotiating furiously with a hastily assembled team of high powered Indians.

What the Indian government has done is to clamp down on communication channels between the terrorists and media . Even the Al Jazeera TV crew outside the Taj Mahal Hotel could not receive any communication from the besieged but heavily armed and dangerous terrorists.

The first batch of those who were evacuated on Thursday afternoon , at both the Taj and The Trident , were largely Indians . Those who were evacuated from Nariman House( said to be a Jewish dominated building)on Thursday evening, were also Indian families living in the same building But like the Britishers and Europeans at the Taj and the Trident, the Jews of Nariman House were also kept hostage by the terrorists. They obviously knew what kind of hostages they needed for negotiating their list of demands.

It has been wrongly stated by the state government that there has been no demands from the terrorists. With so much of planning and military trained manpower going into this commando-like seaborne invasion of Mumbai, there has to be a motive , a list of demands pertaining to the release of a prisoner here or a captive in , say, an American prison at Cuba.

The fact that hostages were being released in batches, after an inordinately long delay, indicates that some of their demands were being met. There was a large wave of 93 hostages released from The Trident between 11a.m. and 12 noon but only four of them were Indians (two from Calcutta, one from Mumbai and the third from Singapore). So 89 of the hostages were foreign. Is there release a reaction to a negotiated settlement ? No one really knows since there has been no statement from the Indian authorities on this issue. The rescue operations at Hotel Trident/Oberoi are however over and the premises are fully secure. After a forensics team goes through the hotel premises, it will be handed over to the management.

It may be recalled that a similar hostage scene was negotiated when the IC plane was hi-jacked to Kandahar. Protracted negotiations finally led to the release of three well-known terrorists who went on to form their own terrorist networks.

The battle at Horniman House, Colaba( after 8 a.m.) is intriguing since it is still going on. It is a mere four storey building and should have been re-taken within hours of terrorist occupation. Yet a battle of attrition, named “Operation Black Thunder”is on for the past two days , even though most of the residents were evacuated last evening. The fact that the battle is still on indicates that Jewish hostages are still there and there is a demand to be met.

The Taj Mahal Hotel (after 8 a.m.)

The GOC –in-Command Thambiraj addressed the press and indicated that there was at least one terrorist shuttling between the Ball Room on the first floor and the second floor. There “ was definitely one terrorist but there could be more”, he said. About the presence of hostages, he did not want to clarify.

The NSG stationed outside the Taj took fresh firing positions at around 12.30 p.m. indicating that the battle for the Taj had intensified. A high alert outside the premises was even declared.

By 5 p.m., sporadic firing continued and there appeared no end in sight. One solitary terrorist holding up the might of the NSG ? Not true, there must some more VIP hostages present preventing the NSG from an all-out attack. Come forward and we shoot the hostages, is the message coming down from the terrorists at the Taj and Nariman House. And so there is a lot of sniping and an occasional grenade throwing.

Also what is holding up the NSG charge forward is the possibility of the terrorists being armed with RDX explosives. The DGP of Maharashtra announced today evening that a large cache of RDX was found behind the Taj( The Mathrubhumi had reported that it was found at the famous Bade Mia food stall behind the Taj yesterday). So the presence of RDX, real or imagined, is holding the mopping up operations.

Marine Commandoes : counter attack

Category: Scoops and News, Mumbai 26/11

Soon after the Mumbai police realized that armed and professionally trained terrorists had taken over three targets in South Mumbai , they called in a local unit of marine commandoes(called Marcos)attached to land based INS Angre, Colaba.

The chief who headed the commandoes spoke to the press with his face masked . The following significant details emerged from the dialogue :

* the infiltration into Mumbai had been planned in advance with local networks providing vital intelligence.

* the groups which took over the three targets—Hotel Taj Mahal, Hotel Trident/Oberoi(at Nariman Point) and Nariman House at Colaba ---were a determined lot. They believed in dying hard.

* The terrorists had a complete idea of the layout of the Taj. Obviously a survey had been conducted earlier, either by local networks or by operatives sent in earlier as guests.

* The Marcos however did not have such layout information. All that they knew was that there were around 400 rooms and that five-to-six terrorists had to be flushed out of them.

* A rucksack was found containing 400 rounds of ammunition for AK-47s , grenades , currency of various foreign countries, and even dry fruits to sustain onself during a long siege. This rucksack has been handed over to the police .

* When asked about the nationality of the terrorists, the Marcos leader did not want to comment.

* They recovered credit cards---ICICI, HDFC and Citibank –from the bodies of terrorists killed by the Marcos . They have been handed over to the police.

* When they broke into the second floor, they found 15 bodies .

The marine commandoes managed to extricate the managing director of the Taj Mahal Hotel, including 30 other guests.

* The terrorists did not wear masks. They appeared to be below 30 years of age and had military training.

The marine commando operations at the Trident/Oberoi reported similar findings. This group of terrorists were also ruthless and exhibited no remorse at taking innocent lives.

The marine commandoes handed over anti-terrorist operations at all the three sites to the NSG at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The marine commander clearly stated that they had to withdraw from the scene since the NSG’s method of operation and their style was different from that of the commandoes.

Quite clearly, the commandoes had not authority to negotiate. But the NSG did and therefore took over entire control of the counter- attack .

Terrorist sings while FBI helps in investigations

Category: Scoops and News, Mumbai 26/11

The one and only terrorist arrested by the Mumbai police in 26/11 attack, Ajmal Amir Kasab (21), has started singing.

Kasab gave detailed information about the organization behind the attack, revealed the name of the mastermind who controlled the entire opertaion and the technique of motivating and brainwashing the terrorist cadre to perform terrorist activities. It is also learned that India has granted permission to a foreign investigating agency to help in the investigation and questioning of a terrorist arrested on Indian soil.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was allowed a brief interaction with Kasab, after the US offered help to fight the ongoing war against terrorism, said police sources.

Kasab told the investigators that Lashkar-e-Tayeba (LeT) commander Mohammed Muzzamil alias Yusuf alias Abu Gurera has controlled the entire operation of 26/11 and “Operation VTS” was the code name of the operation.

He also identified the voice of Muzzamil, when he was made to listen the intercepted telephonic conversations. According to the police, terrorists entered the city with five prepaid SIM cards and were in constant touch with Muzzamil. Two out of five SIM cards were traced to Delhi and the remaining were brought from Kolkata. The SIM cards were procured on the basis of forged documents and were then smuggled to Pakistan said an investigator.

The FBI has helped the investigators by tracing the voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephone to a computer in Lahore. Investigators said, Muzzamil had called the terrorists holed up at Taj and Oberoi Hotels and Nariman House using (VOIP) telephone.

Kasab also revealed the investigators about the Lashkar’s base camp, where Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammed Sayyed and others delivered fiery speeches to motivate the cadre. He unveiled the investigators about the inflammatory films that were shown to brainwash Lashkar recruits.

According to the investigators, Kasab revealed that LeT conducts regular training camps at Danna, Abdul-Bin-Masud, Mangla Dam and Um-Al-qura camps in Muzaffarabad and badli in Kotli. He also disclosed about the two new camps that Let has opened for handpicked cadre to train for suicide missions at Akas in Muzafarabad and another camp in an area known as “Point”.

He told the investigators that LeT commander Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi had promised his poor family in Faridkot a large sum of money in return for his participation in the attack on Mumbai.

Based on the details disclosed by Kasab, the Crime Branch of Mumbai police is preparing a record on the banned terror outfit, which will be handed over to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Security Advisor and the FBI.

The records will also be handed over to the Pakistan government, which has been seeking evidence against LeT from the Indian government. Deven Bharti, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), confirmed that a dossier on the entire operation was being prepared.

In the meantime, investigators are examining the Garmin GPS and walkie-talkie set used by the terrorists to track down the exact route from where the terrorists entered Mumbai from Karachi.

Wiping out the local hand

Category: topstory, Mumbai 26/11

By: Pradeep Shinde

The terrorists , ten of them,(but there could be more) landed in a couple of dinghies, at Machhimar Colony near Budhwar Park, Cuffe Parade. All of them had large rucksacks across their shoulders when they clambered ashore.

They must have landed around 9 p.m. They were seen by a score of fisherfolk who may or may or have alerted the local police stations at Colaba and Cuffe Parade. If they had not done so, it was because such nocturnal landings of boats and suspicious looking men was a matter of routine for fisherfolk . For many decades, this fisherman’s colony has been a smuggling route for gold biscuits, computer peripherals , foreign liquor and recently, drugs. Everyone knows about it but nothing has been done about it.

Both the police stations are on the take and so are some of the key opinion leaders in this Machhimar Colony. Hafta is regular and this time too, both the cops and fisherfolk must have assumed that some smugglers have landed with their cargo. They might have even been eagerly looking forward to their slice of the cake.

One may recall that the RDX landing in 1993 on the Raigad coast was a similar case. The cargo of RDX came in through a route established by smugglers over a long period of time. Hafta was given on a regular basis to all the police stations on the route, including the Customs. So when the RDX came in, the authorities allowed them in , thinking that they were allowing smuggled goods into Raigad district. Unwitting or not, this was a clear case of local aid.

But in this recent terrorist raid on high profile targets , Mumbai Police Commissioer Hasan Ghafoor categorically stated on Tuesday at a press conference that their were no evidence of local aid to the smugglers. There was no evidence of locals helping the terrorists, he said.

So how and why did the terrorists chose the easily accessed Machhamir Colony for their nocturnal landing instead of the Gateway of India. ? Who told them that this was a safer place to land ? And that it is ,anyhow, a safe route for smugglers?

Consider the landing of the terrorists. After walking through Machhamir Colony, ten terrorists came onto the adjacent main road, got into four vehicles and drove separately to Nariman House, Leopold Café, Hotel Taj Mahal and Hotel Trident/Oberoi Were four unoccupied cars waitng for them, parked on the main road, outside Machhimar Colony ? Or did they manage to get four taxis at the same spot ? It is not easy,by the way, to find four taxis simultaneously at that particular spot.

Commissioner Ghafoor cannot accept the fact that four vehicles were waiting for the terrorists since this would have confirmed the presence of a local hand. So the theory propagated is that four taxis were used. If so, where are these taxis ? Where are the statements of these taxi drivers ? Did they not realize they they were carrying gun-toting men ? Or were all the taxi drivers killed ? If so, where are their bodies?

But Police Commissioner Ghafoor says that there was no local help and therefore the terrorists used unwitting taxi drivers to launch their commando-like blitzkrieg on their targets.

This writer, who has lived in Bombay and them Mumbai all his life, has never seen or heard of Nariman House in Colaba. Yet one group of terrorists unerringly zeroed in on this four-storied building located in one of the narrow lanes of Colaba and captured it as quickly as one might say ‘abracabdra’. Some locals had obviously targeted and pinpointed this building which primarily housed Jews.

But Commissioner Ghafoor categorically denied the existence of local networks or a helping hand.

Ghafoor has also stated that the terrorists came in using one dinghy. This dinghy carried ten terrorists armed to the teeth with ten rucksacks crammed with grenades, AK-47s and German –made machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. On can only say that it was a very, very large dinghy!

Nobody wants to bell the ‘local hand ‘ cat. Doing so would lead to Dawood Ibrahim’s network in Colaba and adjoining areas or to his sympathizers. Any mention of a local hand could also led to a communal confrontation. And nobody wants to upset the applecart…it is election time and vote banks have to be protected.