Eye-witnesses caught up in the chaos in India’s financial capital said the gunmen were specifically looking for Britons and Americans. The attacks appeared aimed at foreigners, with reports claiming that westerners were being held hostage at two five-star hotels.
Last night, officials said that four suspects had been killed and nine arrested. Commandos surrounded two hotels – the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi – where it was believed armed men were holding dozens of hostages.
There were still reports of gunfire and explosions taking place elsewhere in the city late last night, and of hostages being held at a hospital.
Gunmen started opening fire around 11pm local time (5:30pm GMT) at various sites across southern Mumbai.
Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, said last night: “The situation is still not under control and we are trying to flush out any more terrorists hiding in the hotels.”
Earlier, a huge explosion rocked the landmark Taj Mahal, followed by a number of fires.
Firefighters were last night still trying to rescue people trapped by the flames. They placed ladders against the hotel to reach people seen hanging out of second-floor windows.
The exact motivation for the attacks remained unclear last night. However, Mumbai has been targeted in outrages blamed on Islamic extremists several times in recent years.
An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind the attacks, local television channels reported. The relatively unknown group sent an e-mail to news organisations claiming responsibility.
The gunmen attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Cafe Leopold, the best-known restaurant in Mumbai, along with the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels. The locations are all popular with tourists.
Blood was smeared on the floor of the railway station, while Leopold’s restaurant was riddled with bullet holes.
Reports claimed that India’s anti-terrorism chief, Hemant Karkare, and two of his senior officials were killed.
Ashok Patel, a British citizen who had been staying at the Taj Mahal, said the gunmen who burst in had been deliberately targeting foreigners.
He added: “They kept shouting, ‘Who has US or UK passports?'”
Alex Chamberlain, a British sportswriter who had been dining at the Oberoi hotel, said the gunmen burst into its restaurant and herded diners upstairs. He said he believed they were looking for British and US visitors.
“They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, ‘Don’t be a hero. Don’t say you are British’.
“I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically.”
Mr Chamberlain said he and another man managed to escape the gunmen through a fire exit and stumbled through smoke that was filling the hotel.
They reached the lobby and emerged to find fire engines and 20 armed policemen “looking as scared as we were”.
One taxi driver, Deepak Aswar, said at least 50 Koreans were trapped inside the Taj with their drivers waiting outside.
“We were just getting ready to pick them up when we heard the first blast. Police did not let us get past and they (the Koreans] are not answering the phones.”
Shivraj Patil, minister for home affairs in India, said there were about four or five attackers in each of the two hotels.
“They have attacked hotels, they have attacked the hospitals, they have attacked the railway station.”
Political reaction to the attacks was swift. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, promised a “vigorous” response.
He said: “I have sent a message to prime minister (Manmohan] Singh that the UK stands solidly with his government as they respond, and to offer all necessary help. Urgent action is under way to offer every possible protection to British citizens.”
US state department spokesman Robert Wood said US officials were not aware of any American casualties, but were still checking. He said he could not address reports that westerners might be among the hostages.
Barack Obama, the US president-elect, said: “These co-ordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism.
“The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said he could not give any indication of the number of Britons involved in the incident and could not comment on reports that British people were being targeted.
He said the Foreign Office was advising all British nationals to stay indoors.
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years. Most have been blamed on Islamist militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists thought to be behind some of the attacks.
Since October 2005, nearly 700 people have died in the bombings. And since May, a militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen has taken credit for a string of blasts that have killed more than 130 people.
The most recent was in September when a series of explosions struck a park and shopping areas in the capital, New Delhi, killing 21 people.
Mumbai has been hit repeatedly by terror attacks since March 1993, when Muslim underworld figures tied to Pakistani militants allegedly carried out a series of bombings on the stock exchange, trains, hotels and gas stations.
Terrorism expert Paul Wilkinson, emeritus professor of international relations at St Andrews University, said last night’s attacks were likely to have been mounted by a group linked to al-Qaeda.
“Extremist groups which share the ideology of al-Qaeda believe they must make war on western countries, as well as on the governments and authorities of all the countries they want to take control over.
“It is really in their eyes an attack on the world of unbelievers and they regard the western countries, particularly the US and its allies, as being especially attractive targets.
“But it is too early to specify a particular group as we know there have been a number in terrorist outrages recently in India. not just in Mumbai, but in Delhi and by the Kashmir border.”
PROFILE
FORMERLY known as Bombay, Mumbai was renamed in 1996 to reflect its pronunciation by speakers of Marathi, the official language of the state of Maharashtra.
The city is the country’s financial capital and, with an estimated 13 million people, is one of the most populous cities in the world.
Lying on the west coast of India, Mumbai has a deep natural harbour and its port handles more than half of India’s maritime cargo.
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5 per cent of India’s GDP. It accounts for 25 per cent of the country’s industrial output and 70 per cent of capital transactions to India’s economy.
Mumbai is one of the world’s top ten centres of commerce and is also home to the national stock exchange and the Bollywood film industry.
The high standard of living available, and the numerous busin
ess opportunities, attract migrants from throughout India to the city.
In July 2006, seven blasts ripped through railway stations and commuter trains in the city, killing at least 187 people.
Tory tells how he fled as gunman sprayed bullets round hotel lobby
A CONSERVATIVE MEP last night told of his terror as he was caught up in the attack on the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai.
Sajjad Karim, who was part of a trade delegation visiting the city, was barricaded in a basement room after he fled from machine-gun fire.
He said: “I was in the lobby of the hotel when gunmen came in and people started running. There were about 25 or 30 of us.
“A gunman just stood there spraying bullets around, right next to me. I managed to turn away and I ran into the hotel kitchen and then we were shunted into the basement.
“We are now in the dark in this room and we’ve barricaded all the doors. It’s really bad.”
He said that as he ran from the lobby, he saw people falling but did not know the extent of any casualties. He said it seemed to be a “random attack”.
Mr Karim, 38, was part of a delegation of MEPs visiting Mumbai ahead of a forthcoming European Union-India summit. Eight Euro MPs were believed to be in Mumbai last night, including another Tory British MEP, Syed Kamall, who represents London.
However, a Tory party spokesman said he was thought to be safe and well.
Mohammed Shafiq, the chief executive of the Muslim youth group the Ramadhan Foundation spoke to Mr Karim last night. He said: “As you can imagine, he is stunned and shaken. It sounds like the terrorists are determined to cause havoc and kill people. Nothing justifies this.”
The Taj Mahal Palace, one of the most famous hotels in India, was home to the England cricket team when they visited Mumbai about two weeks ago.
They were also planning to use the hotel on their return to the city for the second Test Match against India, scheduled to start on 19 December.
England’s media manager, Andrew Walpole, said: “We will be guided by the Foreign Office and will await developments. We need to get a clearer idea of what the situation is before we react further.”
However, Middlesex County Cricket Club has cancelled plans to fly out to take part in the forthcoming Twenty20 Champions League. The team had been due to fly to Mumbai today, and play on the opening day of the competition at the city’s Brabourne Stadium.
Voice of Bihar 