JAKARTA - A group of terrorists attacked the city of Mumbai, India today, November 26, 13 years ago or in 2008. The attack lasted three days. The terror was carried out by 10 armed men belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organization from Pakistan. They terrorized civilians with automatic weapons and grenades.
This terrorist incident is even compared to 9/11. Every year, Indians commemorate how their brethren were killed at the hands of terrorists. Citing The Hindu, Indians in Israel also remember the victims of the killings by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. Some of the victims of these acts of terror are Jews.
The terror act began at 21:30 local time. The Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, Leopold Café, two hospitals and a theater were targeted by the theorists. The act of terror continued with the hostage taking at Nariman House, the center of Jewish activity. They are also targeting two luxury hotels, namely the Oberoi Trident and the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.
By the time the standoff ended at Nariman House on the evening of November 28, 2008, six hostages as well as two gunmen were killed. At two hotels, dozens of guests and staff were trapped by gunfire and hostage-taking. Indian security forces ended the siege on the Oberoi Trident Hotel on November 28 and the Taj Mahal Palace the following morning.
Citing Britannica, in all, at least 174 people were killed, including 20 security force personnel and 26 foreign nationals. More than 300 people were injured. Nine out of 10 terrorists were killed and one person was arrested.
The terrorists were so clearly hunting for the foreigners who were in the two luxury hotels and Nariman House. This pattern has led some to believe that the al-Qaeda terrorist group may be involved. However, this was refuted when the only living terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was arrested. It provides important information about planning and executing attacks.
Kasab, who is a native of Pakistan's Punjab province, told investigators that the 10 terrorists underwent prolonged guerrilla warfare training in the Lashkar-e-Taiba camps. Kasab was sentenced to death and on November 11, 2012 he was hanged in Yerawada Prison in Pune.
After being arrested, Kasab revealed that the terrorist team spent time at the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the headquarters of a related organization, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, in Siswake. After gathering, they traveled from Punjab to the port city of Karachi and continued on to Mumbai.
One of the terrorists, Ajmal Amir Kasab (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
While it is clear that the group originated in Pakistan, Pakistani authorities continue to deny that the incident was their responsibility. India had requested the presence of the Director General of Pakistan's Intelligence Service, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, during the investigation process. Pakistan initially agreed to this request, but later withdrew. Instead, they offered the director general's representative instead of his own Pasha.
Pakistan claims to have arrested Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba leader and suspected mastermind behind the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Pakistani security forces carry out raids on Jamaat-ud-Dawa offices across the country.
But this firm stance only lasted a matter of days. Pakistan's then prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani, stated that Jamaat-ud-Dawa activities should not be shut down because "thousands of people benefited" from what he described as the group's "welfare activities".
India and Pakistan already have strained relations due to border issues and this act of terror has further complicated their relationship. India says Pakistan has been slow in dealing with terrorists. India later canceled its cricket team's tour of Pakistan which had been scheduled for January–February 2009.
*Read other information about TODAY's HISTORY or read other interesting articles from Putri Ainur Islam.
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