Mumbai, November 25: As many as 166 people were killed on November 26, 2008, when 10 heavily armed terrorists carried out the worst attack on Mumbai, India's financial capital. During the ghastly attacks that lasted for four days, Mumbai witnessed a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in several parts. 26/11, as these attacks are often referred to, finally culminated on the morning of 29th November 2008. 26/11 Attacks: Stories of Courage and Valour of Men Who Laid Down Their Lives to Save Mumbai.
On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists reached Mumbai via sea route from Pakistan's port city Karachi. They hijacked fishing dingy and killed four of the five men crew, leaving one occupant to ferry them to Mumbai coast. After sailing to the city under the cover of darkness, a group of terrorists carried out the first attack at the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM) railway station. 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: US Stands With India in Its Quest for Justice, Says Donald Trump.
Terrorists Ajmal Amir Kasab and Ismail Khan killed as many as 58 people and injuring over 100 at CSTM railway station. The duo then entered to attack Cama Hospital, but the same was thwarted with the alertness of the hospital staff. While leaving the hospital, they came across teams of police personnel and opened fire at them. They killed 6 police officials, including city's Anti-Terrorism Squad Hemant Karkare in the encounter.
The second attack took place at Nariman House business and residential complex where a Rabbi, his wife, and six others, including five Israeli citizens, were killed by the terrorists who first held them as hostage. The two-year-old child of the Rabbi couple, Moshe, survived in the attack. Then 'Baby Moshe' became a face of the innocent victims of ruthless terrorism. On 26/11, the third site of the attack was Leopold Cafe where four terrorists killed 10 persons.
The fame cafe on Colaba Causeway was left with bloodstains on the floor. The four terrorists then entered the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where they killed as many as 31 people after laying a three-day siege at the hotel. At the same time, two terrorists also attacked the Oberoi-Trident hotel. The siege officially ended on the evening of November 28 with as many as 30 being killed in the horrific attack.
A day later, commandos of the National Security Guards (NSG) secured the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. In these gruesome attacks, nine terrorists were killed and the lone survivor, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was caught and was sentenced to death at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in 2012.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 25, 2019 09:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).