7/23/2019 2008 Mumbai Attacks http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2008-mumbai-attacks 1/21 2008 Mumbai attacks “26/11” redirects here. For the date, see 26 November. In November 2008, 10 Pakistani members of Lashkar- e-Taiba, an Islamic militant organisation, carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. [11][12][13] The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday, 26 November and lasted until Saturday, 29 November2008,killing164peopleandwoundingatleast 308. [2][14] Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai : at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, [15] the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower , [15] Leopold Cafe , Cama Hospital, [15] the Nariman House Jewish community centre, [16] the Metro Cinema, [17] and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier’s College. [15] There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai’s portarea, andinataxiat Vile Parle. [18] Bytheearlymorn- ing of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj hotel had been secured by Mumbai Police and security forces. On 29 November, India’s National Security Guards (NSG) conducted 'Operation Black Tornado' to flush out the re- maining attackers; it resulted in the deaths of the last re- maining attackers at the Taj hotel and ending all fighting in the attacks. [19] Ajmal Kasab [20] disclosed that the attackers were members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, [21] among others. [22] The Government of India said that the attackers came from Pakistan, and their controllers were in Pakistan. [23] On 7 January 2009, Pakistan confirmed the sole surviving per- petrator of the attacks was a Pakistani citizen. [24] On 9 April 2015, the foremost mastermind of the attacks, Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi, [3][4] was granted bail against surety bonds of ₨200,000 (US$2,000). [25][26] 1 Background There have been many terrorist attacks in Mumbai since the 13 coordinated bomb explosions that killed 257 peo- ple and injured 700 on 12 March 1993. [27] The 1993 at- tacks are believed to have been in retaliation for the Babri Mosque demolition. [28] On 6 December 2002, a blast in a BEST bus near Ghatkopar station killed two people and injured 28. [29] The bombing occurred on the 10th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. [30] A bicy- cle bombexplodednearthe Vile Parle stationin Mumbai, killing one person and injuring 25 on 27 January 2003, a day before the visit of the Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the city. [31] On 13 March 2003, a day after the 10th anniversary of the 1993 Bombay bomb- ings, a bomb exploded in a train compartment near the Mulund station, killing 10 people and injuring 70. [32] On 28 July 2003, a blast in a BEST bus in Ghatkopar killed 4 people and injured 32. [33] On 25 August 2003, two bombs exploded in South Mumbai, one near the Gateway of India and the other at Zaveri Bazaar in Kalbadevi. At least 44 people were killed and 150 injured. [34] On 11 July 2006, seven bombs exploded within 11 min- utes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, [35] killing 209 people, including 22 foreigners [36][37][38] and more than700 injured. [39][40] Accordingto the Mumbai Police, the bombings were carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). [41][42] 1.1 Training A group of men, sometimes stated as 24, at other times 26, [43] received training in marine warfare at a remote campinmountainous Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir. Part of the training was reported to have taken place on the Mangla Dam reservoir. [44] Therecruits went throughthefollowingstagesoftraining, according to Indian and U.S. media reports: • Psychological: Indoctrination to Islamist ideas, in- cluding imagery of atrocities suffered by Muslims in India, [45] Chechnya, Palestine and across the globe. • Basic Combat: Lashkar’s basic combat training and methodology course, the Daura Aam. • Advanced Training: Selected to undergo advanced combat training at a camp near Mansehra, a course the organisation calls the Daura Khaas . [45] Accord- ing to an unnamed source at the US Defense De- partmentthisincludes advanced weaponsandexplo- sives training supervised by retired personnel of the Pakistan Army, [46] along with survival training and further indoctrination. • Commando Training: Finally, an even smaller group selected for specialised commando tactics training and marine navigation training given to the Fedayeen unit selected in order to target Mumbai. [47] 1
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“26/11” redirects here. For the date, see 26 November.
In November 2008, 10 Pakistani members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic militant organisation, carried out aseries of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attackslasting four days across Mumbai.[11][12][13] The attacks,which drew widespread global condemnation, began onWednesday, 26 November and lasted until Saturday, 29November 2008, killing 164 people and wounding at least308.[2][14]
Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai: atChhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident,[15] theTaj Mahal Palace & Tower,[15] Leopold Cafe, CamaHospital,[15] the Nariman House Jewish communitycentre,[16] the Metro Cinema,[17] and in a lane behindthe Times of India building and St. Xavier’s College.[15]
There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai’sport area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle.[18] By the early morn-ing of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj hotel hadbeen secured by Mumbai Police and security forces. On29 November, India’s National Security Guards (NSG)conducted 'Operation Black Tornado' to flush out the re-
maining attackers; it resulted in the deaths of the last re-maining attackers at the Taj hotel and ending all fightingin the attacks.[19]
Ajmal Kasab[20] disclosed that the attackers weremembers of Lashkar-e-Taiba,[21] among others.[22] TheGovernment of India said that the attackers came fromPakistan, and their controllers were in Pakistan.[23] On 7January 2009, Pakistan confirmed the sole surviving per-petrator of the attacks was a Pakistani citizen.[24] On 9April 2015, the foremost mastermind of the attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi,[3][4] was granted bail against suretybonds of ₨200,000 (US$2,000).[25][26]
1 Background
There have been many terrorist attacks in Mumbai sincethe 13 coordinated bomb explosions that killed 257 peo-ple and injured 700 on 12 March 1993.[27] The 1993 at-tacks are believed to have been in retaliation for the BabriMosque demolition.[28]
On 6 December 2002, a blast in a BEST bus nearGhatkopar station killed two people and injured 28.[29]
The bombing occurred on the 10th anniversary of thedemolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya.[30] A bicy-cle bomb exploded near the Vile Parle station in Mumbai,
killing one person and injuring 25 on 27 January 2003,a day before the visit of the Prime Minister of India AtalBihari Vajpayee to the city.[31] On 13 March 2003, a dayafter the 10th anniversary of the 1993 Bombay bomb-ings, a bomb exploded in a train compartment near theMulund station, killing 10 people and injuring 70.[32] On28 July 2003, a blast in a BEST bus in Ghatkopar killed4 people and injured 32.[33] On 25 August 2003, twobombs exploded in South Mumbai, one near the Gatewayof India and the other at Zaveri Bazaar in Kalbadevi.
At least 44 people were killed and 150 injured.[34]
On11 July 2006, seven bombs exploded within 11 min-utes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai,[35] killing209 people, including 22 foreigners[36][37][38] and morethan 700 injured.[39][40] According to the Mumbai Police,the bombings were carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba andStudents Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).[41][42]
1.1 Training
A group of men, sometimes stated as 24, at other times26,[43] received training in marine warfare at a remotecamp in mountainous Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir. Partof the training was reported to have taken place on theMangla Dam reservoir.[44]
The recruits went through the following stages of training,according to Indian and U.S. media reports:
• Psychological: Indoctrination to Islamist ideas, in-cluding imagery of atrocities suffered by Muslims inIndia,[45] Chechnya, Palestine and across the globe.
• Basic Combat: Lashkar’s basic combat training and
methodology course, the Daura Aam.
• Advanced Training: Selected to undergo advancedcombat training at a camp near Mansehra, a coursethe organisation calls the Daura Khaas .[45] Accord-ing to an unnamed source at the US Defense De-partment this includes advanced weapons and explo-sives training supervised by retired personnel of thePakistan Army,[46] along with survival training andfurther indoctrination.
• Commando Training: Finally, an even smallergroup selected for specialised commando tactics
training and marine navigation training given tothe Fedayeen unit selected in order to targetMumbai.[47]
From the students, 10 were handpicked for the Mum-bai mission.[48] They also received training in swimmingand sailing, besides the use of high-end weapons andexplosives under the supervision of LeT commanders.According to a media report citing an unnamed formerDefence Department Official of the US, the intelligence
agencies of the US had determined that former offi-cersfrom Pakistan’s Army and Inter-Services Intelligenceagency assisted actively and continuously in training.[49]
They were given blueprints of all the four targets – TajMahal Palace & Tower, Oberoi Trident, Nariman Houseand Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
2 Attacks
Main article: Timeline of the 2008 Mumbai attacks
The first events were detailed around 20:00 Indian Stan-dard Time (IST) on 26 November, when 10 men in inflat-able speedboats came ashore at two locations in Colaba.They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermenwho asked them who they were to “mind their own busi-ness” before they split up and headed two different ways.The fishermen’s subsequent report to police received littleresponse and local police were helpless.[50]
2.1 Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Bullet marks on the wall of the suburban terminus at CST
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was attacked bytwo gunmen. Oneof them, Ajmal Kasab, was later caughtalive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The at-tacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered thepassenger hall and opened fire,[51] using AK-47 rifles.[52]
The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others,[52]
their assault ending at about 22:45.[51] Security forces andemergency services arrived shortly afterwards. Continu-
ous announcements by a brave railway announcer, VishnuDattaram Zende, alerted passengers to leave the stationand saved scores of lives.[53][54] The two gunmen fled the
scene and fired at pedestrians and police officers in thestreets, killing eight police officers. The attackers passeda police station. Many of the outgunned police officerswere afraid to confront the attackers, and insteadswitchedoff the lights and secured the gates.
The attackers then headed towards Cama Hospital withan intention to kill patients,[55] but the hospital stafflocked all of the patient wards. A team of the MumbaiAnti-Terrorist Squad led by police chief Hemant Karkaresearched the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and then leftin pursuit of Kasab and Khan. Kasab and Khan openedfire on the vehicle in a lane next to the hospital and the po-lice returned fire. Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamteand one of their officers were killed, though the only sur-vivor, Constable Arun Jadhav, was wounded.[56] Kasaband Khan seized the police vehicle but later abandonedit and seized a passenger car instead. They then ran intoa police roadblock, which had been set up after Jadhav
radioed for help.[57] A gun battle then ensued in whichKhan was killed and Kasab was wounded. After a phys-ical struggle, Kasab was arrested.[58] A police officer,Tukaram Omble was also killed when he ran in front ofKasab to shoot him.
2.2 Leopold Cafe
The Leopold Cafe, a popular restaurant andbar on ColabaCauseway in South Mumbai, was one of the first sites tobe attacked.[59] Two attackers opened fire on the cafe on
the evening of 26 November, killing at least 10 people,(including some foreigners), and injuring many more.[60]
2.3 Bomb blasts in taxis
There were two explosions in taxis caused by timerbombs. The first one occurred at 22:40 at Vile Parle,killing the driver and a passenger. The second explo-sion took place at Wadi Bunder between 22:20 and 22:25.Three people, including the driver of the taxi were killed,and about 15 others were injured.[18][61]
2.4 Taj Mahal Hotel and Oberoi Trident
Two hotels, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower and theOberoi Trident, were among the four locations targeted.Six explosions were reported at the Taj hotel – one in thelobby, two in the elevators, three in the restaurant – andone at the Oberoi Trident.[62][63] At the Taj Mahal, fire-fighters rescued 200 hostages from windows using laddersduring the first night.
CNN initially reported on the morning of 27 November
2008 that the hostage situation at the Taj had been re-solved and quoted the police chief of Maharashtra statingthat all hostages were freed;[64] however, it was learned
later that day that there were still two attackers holdinghostages, including foreigners, in the Taj Mahal hotel.[65]
A number of European Parliament Committee on In-ternational Trade delegates were staying in the Taj Ma-hal hotel when it was attacked,[66] but none of them
were injured.[67] British Conservative Member of the Eu-ropean Parliament (MEP) Sajjad Karim (who was inthe lobby when attackers initially opened fire there) and
The Wasabi restaurant on the first floor of the Taj Hotel was
completely gutted.
German Social Democrat MEP Erika Mann were hid-ing in different parts of the building.[68] Also reportedpresent was Spanish MEP Ignasi Guardans, who wasbarricaded in a hotel room.[69][70] Another British Con-servative MEP, Syed Kamall, reported that he alongwith several other MEPs left the hotel and went to anearby restaurant shortly before the attack.[68] Kamallalso reported that Polish MEP Jan Masiel was thought tohave been sleeping in his hotel room when the attacksstarted, but eventually left the hotel safely.[71] Kamalland Guardans reported that a Hungarian MEP’s assistantwas shot.[68][72] Also caught up in the shooting were thePresident of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, while checkingin at the Oberoi Trident,[72] and Indian MP N. N. Krish-nadas of Kerala and Gulam Noon while having dinner at
a restaurant in the Taj hotel.[73][74]
2.5 Nariman House
Main article: Nariman HouseNariman House, a Chabad Lubavitch Jewish center in
Colaba known as the Mumbai Chabad House, was takenover by two attackers and several residents were heldhostage.[75] Police evacuated adjacent buildings and ex-changed fire with the attackers, wounding one. Localresidents were told to stay inside. The attackers threw
a grenade into a nearby lane, causing no casualties. NSGcommandos arrived from Delhi, and a naval helicoptertook an aerial survey. During the first day, 9 hostages
Front view of the Nariman House a week after the attacks
were rescued from the first floor. The following day, thehouse was stormed by NSG commandos fast-roping fromhelicopters onto the roof, covered by snipers positionedin nearby buildings. After a long battle, one NSG com-
mando Havaldar Gajender Singh Bisht and both perpe-trators were killed.[76][77] Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg andhis wife Rivka Holtzberg, who was six months pregnant,were murdered with four other hostages inside the houseby the attackers.[78]
According to radio transmissions picked up by Indian in-telligence, the attackers “would be told by their handlersin Pakistan that the lives of Jews were worth 50 timesthose of non-Jews.” Injuries on some of the bodies indi-cated that they may have been tortured.[79][80]
2.6 NSG raid
During the attacks, both hotels were surrounded byRapid Action Force personnel and Marine Comman-dos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NSG)commandos.[81][82] When reports emerged that attack-ers were receiving television broadcasts, feeds to the ho-tels were blocked.[83] Security forces stormed both ho-tels, and all nine attackers were killed by the morning of29 November.[84][85] Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan of theNSG was killed during the rescue of Commando SunilYadav, who was hit in the leg by a bullet during the res-
cue operations at Taj.
[86][87]
32 hostages were killed at theOberoi Trident.[88]
NSG commandos then took on the Nariman house, and
NSG Commandos beginning the assault on Nariman House by
fast-roping onto the terrace.
a Naval helicopter took an aerial survey. During the firstday, 9 hostages were rescued from the first floor. The
following day, the house was stormed by NSG comman-dos fast-roping from helicopters onto the roof, covered bysnipers positioned in nearby buildings. NSG CommandoHavaldar Gajender Singh Bisht, who was part of the teamthat fast-roped onto Nariman House, died after a longbattle in which both perpetrators were also killed.[76][77]
Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg,who was six months pregnant, were murdered with fourother hostages inside the house by the attackers.[78] Bythe morning of 27 November, the NSG had secured theJewish outreach center at Nariman House as well as theOberoi Trident hotel. They also incorrectly believed thatthe Taj Mahal Palace and Towers had been cleared ofattackers, and soldiers were leading hostages and holed-up guests to safety, and removing bodies of those killedin the attacks.[89][90][91] However, later news reports indi-cated that there were still two or three attackers in the Taj,with explosions heard and gunfire exchanged.[91] Fireswere also reported at the ground floor of the Taj withplumes of smoke arising from the first floor.[91] The fi-nal operation at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel was com-pleted by the NSG commandos at 08:00 on 29 Novem-ber, killing three attackers and resulting in the conclusionof the attacks.[92] The NSG rescued 250 people from theOberoi, 300 from the Taj and 60 people (members of 12
different families) from Nariman House.[93] In addition,police seized a boat filled with arms and explosives an-chored at Mazgaon dock off Mumbai harbour.[94]
Ajmal Kasab at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus with an AK-47 in
his hand
3 Attribution
Main articles: Attribution of the 2008 Mumbai attacksand Erroneous reporting on the 2008 Mumbai attacks
The Mumbai attacks were planned and directed byLashkar-e-Taiba militants inside Pakistan, and carriedout by 10 young armed men trained and sent to Mum-bai and directed from inside Pakistan via mobile phonesand VoIP.[22][95][96]
In July 2009 Pakistani authorities confirmed that LeT
plotted and financed the attacks from LeT camps inKarachi and Thatta.[97] In November 2009, Pakistani au-thorities charged seven men they had arrested earlier, ofplanning and executing the assault.[98]
Mumbai police originally identified 37 suspects—including two army officers—for their alleged involve-ment in the plot. All but two of the suspects,many of whom are identified only through aliases, arePakistani.[99] Two more suspects arrested in the UnitedStates in October 2009 for other attacks were alsofound to have been involved in planning the Mumbaiattacks.[100][101] One of these men, Pakistani American
David Headley, was found to have made several trips toIndia before the attacks and gathered video and GPS in-formation on behalf of the plotters.
In April 2011, the United States issued arrest warrantsfor four Pakistani men as suspects in the attack. Themen, Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa, Mazhar Iqbal alias “MajorIqbal”, are believed to be members of Lashkar-e-Taibaand helped plan and train the attackers.[102]
3.1 Negotiations with Pakistan
Pakistan initially denied that Pakistanis were responsiblefor the attacks, blaming plotters in Bangladesh and Indiancriminals,[103] a claim refuted by India,[104] and sayingthey needed information from India on other bombingsfirst.[105]
Pakistani authorities finally agreed that Ajmal Kasab wasa Pakistani on 7 January 2009,[24][106][107] and registereda case against three other Pakistani nationals.[108]
The Indian government supplied evidence to Pakistanand other governments, in the form of interrogations,weapons, and call records of conversations during theattacks.[109][110] In addition, Indian government officialssaid that the attacks were so sophisticated that they musthave had official backing from Pakistani “agencies”, anaccusation denied by Pakistan.[96][106]
Under US and UN pressure, Pakistan arrested a fewmembers of Jamaat ud-Dawa and briefly put its founderunder house arrest, but he was found to be free a fewdays later.[111] A year after the attacks, Mumbai po-lice continued to complain that Pakistani authoritieswere not cooperating by providing information for theirinvestigation.[112] Meanwhile, journalists in Pakistan saidsecurity agencies were preventing them from interview-ing people from Kasab’s village.[113][114] Home Minis-ter P. Chidambaram said the Pakistani authorities hadnot shared any information about American suspectsHeadley and Rana, but that the FBI had been moreforthcoming.[115]
An Indian report, summarising intelligence gained fromIndia’s interrogation of David Headley,[116] was releasedin October 2010. It alleged that Pakistan’s intelli-gence agency (ISI) had provided support for the at-tacks by providing funding for reconnaissance missionsin Mumbai.[117] The report included Headley’s claim thatLashkar-e-Taiba’s chief military commander, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, had close ties to the ISI.[116] He allegedthat “every big action of LeT is done in close coordinationwith [the] ISI.”[117]
3.2 Investigation
According to investigations, the attackers travelled by seafrom Karachi, Pakistan, across the Arabian Sea, hijackedthe Indian fishing trawler 'Kuber', killed the crew of four,
then forced the captain to sail to Mumbai. After murder-ing the captain, the attackers entered Mumbai on a rubberdinghy. The captain of 'Kuber', Amar Singh Solanki, had
earlier been imprisoned for six months in a Pakistani jailfor illegally fishing in Pakistani waters.[118] The attackersstayed and were trained by the Lashkar-e-Taiba in a safe-
house at Azizabad near Karachi before boarding a smallboat for Mumbai.[119]
David Headley was a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, andbetween 2002 and 2009 Headley travelled extensively aspart of his work for LeT. Headley received training insmall arms and countersurveillance from LeT, built a net-work of connections for the group, and was chief scout inscoping out targets for Mumbai attack[120][121] having al-legedly been given $25,000 in cash in 2006 by an ISI offi-cer known as Major Iqbal, The officer also helped him ar-range a communications system for the attack, and over-saw a model of the Taj Mahal Hotel so that gunmen could
know their way inside the target, according to Headley’stestimony to Indian authorities. Headley also helped ISIrecruit Indian agents to monitor Indian troop levels andmovements, according to a US official. At the same time,Headley was also an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforce-ment Administration, and Headley’s wives warned Amer-ican officials of Headley’s involvement with LeT and hisplotting attacks, warning specifically that the Taj MahalHotel may be their target.[120]
US officials believed that the Inter-Services Intelligence(I.S.I.) officers provided support to Lashkar-e-Taibamilitants who carried out the attacks.[122]Disclosures
made by former american intelligence contractor EdwardSnowden in 2013 revealed that the Central IntelligenceAgency (CIA) had intercepted communications betweenthe Lashkar boat and the LeT headquarters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and passed the alert on to RAWon November 18, eight days before the terrorists actuallystruck Mumbai.[123]
The arrest of Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Hamza inJune 2012 provided further clarity on how the plot washatched. According to Abu Hamza, the attacks werepreviously scheduled for 2006, using Indian youth forthe job. However, a huge cache of AK-47’s and RDX,
which were to be used for the attacks, was recoveredfrom Aurangabad in 2006, thus leading to the disman-tling of the original plot. Subsequently, Abu Hamza fled
to Pakistan and along with Lashkar commanders, scoutedfor Pakistani youth to be used for the attacks. In Septem-ber 2007, 10 people were selected for the mission. InSeptember 2008, these people tried sailing to Mumbaifrom Karachi, but couldn't complete their mission dueto choppy waters. These men made a second attempt
in November 2008, and successfully managed to executethe final attacks. David Headley’s disclosures, that threePakistani army officers were associated with the plan-ning and execution of the attack were substantiated byAnsari’s revelations during his interrogation.[124][125] Af-ter Ansari’s arrest, Pakistan’s Foreign Office claimed theyhad received information that up to 40 Indian nationalswere involved in the attacks.[126]
3.3 Method
The attackers had planned the attack several monthsahead of time and knew some areas well enough to van-ish and reappear after security forces had left. Sev-eral sources have quoted Kasab telling the police thatthe group received help from Mumbai residents.[127][128]
The attackers used at least three SIM cards purchased onthe Indian side of the border with Bangladesh.[129] Therewere also reports of a SIM card purchased in the US stateNew Jersey, if this is the case, then this would go backto Iraqi Intelligence Services and Al Qaeda from 9–11and Lashkar or Jemmah Ismaliyah and Egyptian IslamicJihad involvement through Pakistani ISI who had con-nections with Iraqi Intelligence from Saddam Hussein’s
old network of militants.[130] Police had also mentionedthat Faheem Ansari, an Indian Lashkar operative who hadbeen arrested in February 2008, had scouted the Mumbaitargets for the November attacks.[131] Later, the police ar-rested two Indian suspects, Mikhtar Ahmad, who is fromSrinagar in Kashmir, and Tausif Rehman, a resident ofKolkata. They supplied the SIM cards, one in Calcutta,and the other in New Delhi.[132]
Type 86 Grenades made by China’s state-owned Norincowere used in the attacks.[133]
Blood tests on the attackers indicate that they had taken
cocaine and LSD during the attacks, to sustain their en-ergy and stay awake for 50 hours. Police say that theyfound syringes on the scenes of the attacks. There werealso indications that they had been taking steroids.[134]
The gunman who survived said that the attackers had usedGoogle Earth to familiarise themselves with the locationsof buildings used in the attacks.[135]
There were 10 gunmen, nine of whom were subsequentlyshot dead and one captured by security forces.[136][137]
Witnesses reported that they seemed to be in their earlytwenties, wore black T-shirts and jeans, and that theysmiled and looked happy as they shot their victims. [138]
It was initially reported that some of the attackers wereBritish citizens,[139][140] but the Indian government laterstated that there was no evidence to confirm this.[141]
Similarly, early reports of 12 gunmen[142] were also latershown to be incorrect.[109]
On 9 December, the 10 attackers were identified byMumbai police, along with their home towns in Pakistan:Ajmal Amir from Faridkot, Abu Ismail Dera Ismail Khan
from Dera Ismail Khan, Hafiz Arshad and Babr Imranfrom Multan, Javed from Okara, Shoaib from Narowal,Nazih and Nasr from Faisalabad, Abdul Rahman fromArifwalla, and Fahad Ullah from Dipalpur Taluka. DeraIsmail Khan is in the North-West Frontier Province; therest of the towns are in Pakistani Punjab.[143]
On 6 April 2010, the Home Minister of MaharashtraState, which includes Mumbai, informed the Assemblythat the bodies of the nine killed Pakistani gunmen fromthe 2008 attack on Mumbai were buried in a secret loca-tion in January 2010. The bodies had been in the mortu-ary of a Mumbai hospital after Muslim clerics in the city
refused to let them be buried on their grounds.
[144]
3.4 Attackers
Only one of the 10 attackers, Ajmal Kasab, survivedthe attack. He was hanged in Yerwada jail in 2012.[145]
Killed during the onslaught were:
1. Abdul Rehman Bada
2. Abdul Rahman Chhota
3. Abu Ali
4. Fahad Ullah
5. Ismail Khan
6. Babar Imran
7. Abu Umar
8. Abu Sohrab
9. Shoaib alias Soheb
3.5 Arrests
Main articles: Ajmal Kasab and Zabiuddin Ansari
Ajmal Kasab was the only attacker arrested alive bypolice.[146] Much of the information about the attackers’preparation, travel, and movements comes from his con-fessions to the Mumbai police.[147]
On 12 February 2009 Pakistan’s Interior MinisterRehman Malik said that Pakistani national Javed Iqbal,who acquired VoIP phones in Spain for the Mumbai at-tackers, and Hamad Ameen Sadiq, who had facilitated
money transfer for the attack, had been arrested.[108] Twoother men known as Khan and Riaz, but whose full nameswere not given, were also arrested.[148] Two Pakistanis
were arrested in Brescia, Italy (East of Milan), on 21November 2009, after being accused of providing logis-tical support to the attacks and transferring more thanUS$200 to Internet accounts using a false ID.[149][150]
They had Red Corner Notices issued against them byInterpol for their suspected involvement and it was issued
after the last year’s strikes.[151]
In October 2009, two Chicago men were arrested andcharged by the FBI for involvement in “terrorism” abroad,David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana.Headley, a Pakistani-American, was charged in Novem-ber 2009 with scouting locations for the 2008 Mumbaiattacks.[152][153] Headley is reported to have posed as anAmerican Jew and is believed to have links with militantIslamist groups based in Bangladesh.[154] On 18 March2010, Headley pled guilty to a dozen charges against himthereby avoiding going to trial.
In December 2009, the FBI charged Abdur RehmanHashim Syed, a retired Major in the Pakistani army, forplanning the attacks in association with Headley.[155]
On 15 January 2010, in a successful snatch operationR&AW agents nabbed Sheikh Abdul Khwaja, one of thehandlers of the 26/11 attacks, chief of HuJI India opera-tions and a most wanted suspect in India, from Colombo,Sri Lanka, and brought him over to Hyderabad, India forformal arrest.[156]
On 25 June 2012, the Delhi Police arrested ZabiuddinAnsari alias Abu Hamza, one of the key suspects in theattack at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New
Delhi. His arrest was touted as the most significant de-velopment in the case since Kasab’s arrest.[157] Securityagencies had been chasing him for three years in Delhi.Ansari is a Lashker-e-Taiba ultra and the Hindi tutor ofthe 10 attackers who were responsible for the Mumbaiattacks in 2008.[158][159] He was apprehended, after hewas arrested and deported to India by Saudi Intelligenceofficials as per official request by Indian authorities.[160]
After Ansari’s arrest, investigations revealed that in 2009he allegedly stayed for a day in a room in Old Legisla-tors’s Hostel, belonging to Fauzia Khan, a former MLAand minister in Maharashtra Government. The minister,however, denied having any links with him. Home Min-ister P. Chidambaram, asserted that Ansari was provideda safe place in Pakistan and was present in the controlroom, which could not have been established without ac-tive State support. Ansari’s interrogation further revealedthat Sajid Mir and a Pakistani Army major visited Indiaunder fake names as cricket spectators to survey targetsin Delhi and Mumbai for about a fortnight.[161][162][163]
4 Casualties and compensation
Main article: Casualties of the 2008 Mumbai attacks
sonnel) and nine attackers were killed in the at-tacks. Among the dead were 28 foreign nationalsfrom 10 countries.[2][64][164][165][166] One attacker wascaptured.[167] The bodies of many of the dead hostagesshowed signs of torture or disfigurement.[168] A numberof those killed were notable figures in business, media,
and security services.[169][170][171]
According to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Desh-mukh, 15 policemen and two NSG commandos werekilled, including the following officers:[172][173]
• Assistant Police Sub-Inspector TukaramOmble,[174] who succeeded in capturing a ter-rorist alive, with his bare hands.
• Joint Commissioner of Police Hemant Karkare, theChief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad[175]
• Additional Commissioner of Police: AshokKamte[175]
Three railway officials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
had also been killed in the terror strikes.[176]
The casualties occurred in the following locations,
The government of Maharashtra announced about₹500000 (US$7,500) as compensation to the kin of eachof those killed in the terror attacks and about ₹50000(US$750) to the seriously injured.[190] In August 2009,Indian Hotels Company and the Oberoi Group receivedabout $28 million USD as part-payment of the insuranceclaims, on account of the attacks on Taj Mahal and Tri-
dent , from General Insurance Corporation of India.[191]
5 Aftermath
Main article: Aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks
The attacks are sometimes referred to in India as “26/11”,after the date in 2008 that the attacks began, in similarstyle to the 9/11 attacks in the United States, the 11-M at-tack in Madrid, Spain, and the 7/7 bombings in London,United Kingdom. The Pradhan Inquiry Commission, ap-pointed by the Maharashtra government, produced a re-port that was tabled before the legislative assembly more
than a year after the events. The report said the “war-like” attack was beyond the capacity to respond of anypolice force, but also found fault with the Mumbai Police
Commissioner Hasan Gafoor's lack of leadership duringthe crisis.[192]
The Maharashtra government planned to buy 36 speedboats to patrol the coastal areas and several helicopters forthe same purpose. It also planned to create an anti-terror
force called “Force One” and upgrade all the weaponsthat Mumbai police currently have.[193] Prime MinisterManmohan Singh on an all-party conference declaredthat legal framework would be strengthened in the battleagainst “terrorism” and a federal anti-terrorist intelligenceand investigation agency, like the FBI, will be set up soonto coordinate action against “terrorism.”[194] The govern-ment strengthened anti-terror laws with UAPA 2008, andthe federal National Investigation Agency was formed.
The attacks further strained India’s slowly recoveringrelationship with Pakistan. India’s then External Af-fairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee (presently President
of India) declared that India may indulge in militarystrikes against terror camps in Pakistan to protect itsterritorial integrity. There were also after-effects onthe United States’s relationships with both countries,[195]
the US-led NATO war in Afghanistan,[196] and on theGlobal War on Terror.[197] FBI chief Robert Muellerpraised the “unprecedented cooperation” between Amer-ican and Indian intelligence agencies over the Mumbaiterror attack probe.[198] However, Interpol secretary gen-eral Ronald Noble said that Indian intelligence agenciesdid not share any information with them (Interpol).[199]
A new National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) wasproposed to be set up by the then Home Minister P. chi-dambaram as an office to collect, collate, summarise, in-tegrate, analyse, coordinate and report all informationand inputs received from various intelligence agencies,state police departments, and other ministries and theirdepartments.
5.1 Movement of troops
Pakistan moved troops towards the border with Indiavoicing concerns about the Indian government’s possibleplans to launch attacks on Pakistani soil if it did not co-
operate. After days of talks, the Pakistan government,however, decided to start moving troops away from theborder.[200]
5.2 Reactions
Main article: Reactions to the 2008 Mumbai attacksIndians criticised their political leaders after the attacks,
saying that their ineptness was partly responsible. The
Times of India commented on its front page that “Ourpoliticians fiddle as innocents die.”[201] Political reac-
tions in Mumbai and India included a range of resigna-tions and political changes, including the resignations ofMinister for Home Affairs Shivraj Patil,[202] Chief Min-
Candlelight vigils at the Gateway of India in Mumbai
ister Vilasrao Deshmukh[203] and deputy chief ministerR. R. Patil[204] for controversial reactions to the attackincluding taking the former’s son and Bollywood director
Ram Gopal Verma to tour the damaged Taj Hotel and thelatters remarks that the attacks were not a big deal in sucha large city. Prominent Muslim personalities such as Bol-lywood actor Aamir Khan appealed to their communitymembers in the country to observe Eid al-Adha as a dayof mourning on 9 December.[205] The business establish-ment also reacted, with changes to transport, and requestsfor an increase in self-defence capabilities.[206] The at-tacks also triggered a chain of citizens’ movements acrossIndia such as the India Today Group’s “War Against Ter-ror” campaign. There were vigils held across all of Indiawith candles and placards commemorating the victims of
the attacks.
[207]
The NSG commandos based in Delhi alsomet criticism for taking 10 hours to reach the3 sites underattack.[208][209]
International reaction for the attacks was widespread,with many countries and international organisations con-demning the attacks and expressing their condolences tothe civilian victims. Many important personalities aroundthe world also condemned the attacks.[210]
Media coverage highlighted the use of social media andInternet social networking tools, including Twitter andFlickr , in spreading information about the attacks. Inaddition, many Indian bloggers and Wikipedia offered
live textual coverage of the attacks.[211] A map of theattacks was set up by a web journalist using GoogleMaps.[212][213] The New York Times, in July 2009,
Citizens gather outside the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel
demanding the government takes action.
described the event as “what may be the most well-documented terrorist attack anywhere.”[214]
In November 2010, families of American victims of theattacks filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn, New York, namingLt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, chief of the I.S.I., as beingcomplicit in the Mumbai attacks. On 22 September 2011,the attack on the American Embassy in Afghanistan, wasattributed to Pakistan via cell phone records identical tothe attacks in Mumbai, also linked to Pakistan. The in-vestigation is on-going.[122]
6 Trials
6.1 Kasab’s trial
Kasab’s trial was delayed due to legal issues, as many In-dian lawyers were unwilling to represent him. A Mum-bai Bar Association passed a resolution proclaiming thatnone of its members would represent Kasab. However,the Chief Justice of India stated that Kasab needed alawyer for a fair trial. A lawyer for Kasab was eventu-ally found, but was replaced due to a conflict of inter-est. On 25 February 2009, Indian investigators filed an11,000-page chargesheet, formally charging Kasab with
murder, conspiracy, and waging war against India amongother charges.
Kasab’s trial began on 6 May 2009. He initially pleadednot guilty, but later admitted his guilt on 20 July 2009. Heinitially apologised for the attacks and claimed that he de-served the death penalty for his crimes, but later retractedthese claims, saying that he had been tortured by police toforce his confession, and that he had been arrested whileroaming the beach. The court had accepted his plea, butdue to the lack of completeness within his admittance,the judge had deemed that many of the 86 charges werenot addressed and therefore the trial continued.
Kasab was convicted of all 86 charges on 3 May 2010.He was found guilty of murder for directly killing sevenpeople, conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of
the 164 people killed in the three-day terror siege, wag-ing war against India, causing terror, and of conspiracy tomurder two high-ranking police officers. On 6 May 2010,he was sentenced to death by hanging.[215] [216] [217][218]
However, he appealed his sentence at high court. On 21February 2011, the Bombay High Court upheld the death
sentence of Kasab, dismissing his appeal.[219]
On 29 August 2012, the Indian Supreme Court upheldthe death sentence for Kasab. The court stated, “We areleft with no option but to award death penalty. The pri-mary and foremost offence committed by Kasab is wag-ing war against the Government of India.”[220] The verdictfollowed 10 weeks of appeal hearings, and was decidedby a two-judge Supreme Court panel, which was led byJudge Aftab Alam. The panel rejected arguments thatKasab was denied a free and fair trial.[221]
Kasab filed a mercy petition with the President of India,
which was rejected on 5 November . Kasab was hangedin Pune’s Yerwada jail in secret on 21 November 2012 at7:30 am and naming the operation as operation 'X'. TheIndian mission in Islamabad informed the Pakistan gov-ernment about Kasab’s hanging through letter. Pakistanrefused to take the letter, which was then faxed to them.His family in Pakistan was sent news of his hanging via acourier.[222]
6.2 In Pakistan
Indian and Pakistani police have exchanged DNA evi-dence, photographs and items found with the attackersto piece together a detailed portrait of the Mumbai plot.Police in Pakistan have arrested seven people, includingHammad Amin Sadiq, a homoeopathic pharmacist, whoarranged bank accounts and secured supplies. Sadiq andsix others begin their formal trial on 3 October 2009 inPakistan, though Indian authorities say the prosecutionstops well short of top Lashkar leaders.[223] In November2009, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said thatPakistan has not done enough to bring the perpetrators ofthe attacks to justice.[224]
An eight-member commission comprising defencelawyers, prosecutors and a court official was allowed totravel to India on 15 March 2013 to gather evidencesfor the prosecution of seven suspects linked to the2008 Mumbai attacks. However, the defence lawyerswere barred from cross-examining the four prosecutionwitnesses in the case including Ajmal Kasab.[225][226]
On the eve of the first anniversary of 26/11, a Pakistanianti-terror court formally charged seven accused, in-cluding LeT operations commander Zaki ur RehmanLakhvi. However the actual trial started on 5 May 2012.The Pakistani court conducting trial of Mumbai attacksaccused, reserved its judgement on the application filed
by Lakhvi, challenging the report of the judicial panel,to 17 July 2012.[227] On 17 July 2012, the court refusedto take the findings of the Pakistani judicial commission
as part of the evidence. It however, ruled that if a newagreement that allows panel’s examination of witnesses,is reached, the prosecution may move an application forsending the panel to Mumbai.[228] The Indian Govern-ment upset over the court ruling, however,contendedthat evidence collected by the Pakistani judicial panel
has evidential value to punish all those involved in theattack.[229] On 21-September-2013, a Pakistani judicialcommission arrived in India to carry out the investigationand to cross examine the witnesses. This is the secondsuch visit, the one in March 2012 was not a success[230]
as its report was rejected by an anti-terrorism court inPakistan due to lack of evidence.
6.3 In the United States
The LeT operative David Headley (born Daood Sayed
Gilani) in his testimony before a Chicago federal courtduring co-accused Tahawwur Rana's trial revealed thatMumbai Chabad House was added to the list of targetsfor surveillance given by his Inter Services Intelligencehandler Major Iqbal, though the Oberoi hotel, one ofthe sites attacked, was not originally on the list.[231] On10 June 2011, Tahawwur Rana was acquitted of plot-ting the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but was held guilty on twoother charges.[232] He was sentenced to 14 years in federalprison on 17 January 2013.[233]
David Headley pleaded guilty to 12 counts related to theattacks, including conspiracy to commit murder in India
and aiding and abetting in the murder of six Americans.On 23 January 2013, he was sentenced to 35 years in fed-eral prison. His plea that he not be extradited to India,Pakistan or Denmark was accepted.[234]
7 Memorials
On the first anniversary of the event, the state paidhomage to the victims of the attack. Force One—a newsecurity force created by the Maharashtra government—staged a parade from Nariman Point to Chowpatty. Other
memorials and candlelight vigils were also organised atthe various locations where the attacks occurred.[235]
On thesecond anniversary of the event, homage was againpaid to the victims.[236]
• Dossier of evidence collected by investigating agen-cies of India
• List of Blogs & Bloggers who were live bloggingduring the attacks
• “They said, kill till you die... par hum bhi insan hainyaar”. Mumbai Mirror. 14 March 2009. Retrieved22 August 2012. [Interview of captured terroristMohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab]
• Mumbai Massacre Documentary produced by thePBS Series Secrets of the Dead
lion786, Jay vedak, Supersaiyen312, Stevenson7869, AcidSnow, Ugog Nizdast, My name is not dave, Ginsuloft, Mlongenbach, DrewHeath,Manul, PISCOSOUR786, Pakknight, Cheekylips, OccultZone, Stamptrader, Quartzd, Mohsin17, Lakun.patra, Skr15081997, L Manju,Pohnnyjham, Captain Cornwall, Khabboos, Orangoottan, Atifa740, Pranjaltiwari1540, Libertarian12111971, TheMagikCow, Attan1001,Krish8, Eurodyne, Nomaan Asim, Saqib, Barthateslisa, FriarTuck1981, Studio.high, FreeatlastChitchat, Abbott111, YeOldeGentleman,Human3015, Conradjagan, Goldenxenon, Prinsgezinde, Kneeta, AusLondonder, Nihlus1, Aero Slicer, Neowoodlock, OmarZafar, HIAS,Adilfarooq93, Abmang10, AbubakarTweets, Aditya8993, Brj312JXa0An1mO, Percinr1819 and Anonymous: 919
11.2 Images
• File:2008_Mumbai_terror_attack_VT_bullet_mark.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/2008_Mumbai_terror_attack_VT_bullet_mark.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Nicholas (Nichalp)
• File:2008_Mumbai_terror_attacks_Nariman_House_front_view_3.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/2008_Mumbai_terror_attacks_Nariman_House_front_view_3.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist:
Nicholas (Nichalp)
• File:2008_Mumbai_terror_attacks_Oberoi_Restaurant.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/2008_Mumbai_terror_attacks_Oberoi_Restaurant.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Nicholas (Nichalp)
• File:2008_Mumbai_terror_attacks_Taj_Hotel_Wasabi_Restaurant_burned.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/2008_Mumbai_terror_attacks_Taj_Hotel_Wasabi_Restaurant_burned.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Ownwork Original artist: Nicholas (Nichalp)
• File:3_December_2008_Gateway_protest_march_4.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/3_December_2008_Gateway_protest_march_4.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Nicholas (Nichalp)
• File:Bombaymapconfimed_attacks.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Bombaymapconfimed_attacks.png License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors: open streetmaps with modifications http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=19.0072&lon=72.865&zoom=12&layers=B000FTFT Original artist: user:geni open street maps
• File:Cafe_leopold_damage_Mumbai_nov_2008.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Cafe_leopold_damage_Mumbai_nov_2008.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.)Original artist: Adhishb (talk)
• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
• File:Mahim_train_blast.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Mahim_train_blast.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors: originally posted to Flickr as Mahim train blast Original artist: Manoj Nair