Back in Time is ED’s newspaper-like column that reports the past as though it had happened just yesterday. It allows the reader to relive it several years later, on the date it occurred.
November 26th, 2008, Mumbai: Members of the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba had reached the port of Mumbai on 26/11 on a fishing trawler that was allegedly hijacked at Karachi. After reaching Mumbai the terrorists took control of cars, including a police van and split into small groups. They used automatic weapons and grenades and gunned down civilians.
The unprecedented attack seems to have been well-planned as the terrorists proceeded to different locations in groups of 2-3.
They first attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at around 9:20 PM, and left a bloody and tragic trail. Reportedly around 58 people were killed and over 100 seriously injured. The second and third attacks were at Nariman House and the popular Leopold Cafe, where unknowing civilians were shot down.
At around 9:38 PM, Abdul Rehman Bada and Abu Ali had planted a crude RDX bomb in front of the police post near the Taj Mahal hotel. Armed with AK-47s, they and two other terrorists entered the lobby area at the Tower section, firing indiscriminately at anybody within their eyesight.
Less than ten minutes later Shoib and Umer made their way through the La-Pat door and began firing at guests around the pool. That section of the hotel was open for a few corporate meetings and a wedding, which shows the terrorists’ prior knowledge. Beside the pool, four foreigners were instantly shot down along with a security guard, Ravindra Kumar, and his labrador.
Around 1 AM, the hotel’s central dome was bombed, creating a massive fire in the building. At 4 AM a team of marine commandos safely escorted out two batches of people, but Gautam Singh, a tandoor chef, was spotted and killed by the terrorists.
At 6:30 AM a team of 200 commandos arrived at Mumbai from Delhi. Taking charge of the rescue operations, they have also been tasked with storming the building. Mumbai citizens are watching in horror and anticipation the shocking events which suddenly unfolded in the financial city and wreaked havoc in several people’s lives.
The date of 26/11 will be a scar in people’s hearts, as numerous innocent civilians were gunned down.
Read More: ResearchED: How India Has Seen Way Reduced Terrorist Attacks Post 26/11
Post Scriptum
It has been 14 years since the group of LeT terrorists unleashed a formidable bloodbath on the citizens of Mumbai. For three consecutive days, from November 26th to 29th, some prime spots of the city were choked under violence and tragedy. Around 166 people including foreigners lost their lives in this attack.
Nine of the terrorists were killed by the armed forces, but only one was caught alive- Ajmal Kasab, who was sentenced to death at the Yerwada Central Jail, Pune in 2012.
In June this year, the ‘project manager’ of the Mumbai terror attack, Sajid Majeed Mir, was handed 15 years imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore. He had a bounty of $5 Million on India’s most-wanted list, the US has a $10 million bounty on him for terror-financing cases.
The UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, held in September this year, saw Karambir Kang, erstwhile general manager of the Taj Hotel, reminiscing the tragedy. He had lost his wife and two sons.
He mentioned the bravehearts among his colleagues who saved lives. He said, “While our company and staff received global accolades, we have spent 14 long and painful years trying to seek justice”.
Disclaimer: This article is fact-checked
Sources: The Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times
Image sources: Google Images
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This post is tagged under: mumbai terror attack 26/11, civilians gunned down, Taj Hotel massacre, terrorist attack, Lashker-e-Taiba, terror at Mumbai, remembering victims of 26/11, martyrs, unprecedented attack, 2008 terror attacks, civilians gunned down 26/11
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