Today is the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attack on 26 November 2008 in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra. Today, the country is remembering the martyred soldiers and the killed people. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray went to Mumbai Police Commissionerate to pay tribute to those killed in the terror attack. In such a situation, let us know in a systematic way what happened that day in Mumbai?
By the evening of 26 November 2008, Mumbai was walking as usual. The situation in the city was completely normal. People were shopping in the markets. At the same time, some people were enjoying the cool breeze coming from the sea on Marine Drive as usual. But as Mumbai started moving towards the darkness of night, the screaming on the streets of Mumbai started intensifying.
10 terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed, who came from Pakistan, shook Mumbai with bomb blasts and shootings. It has been 12 years since this terrorist attack, but this is the dark day of Indian history, which no one can forget by wishing. More than 160 people were killed and 300 more were injured in the terrorist attack.
Terrorists came to Mumbai via Karachi
This attack started like this. These terrorists entered Mumbai by boat from Karachi three days before the attack. They arrived in Mumbai by Indian boat. The Indian boat on which these terrorists were boarded, they captured it and killed four Indians aboard it. Around eight o'clock in the night, the attackers landed at the fish market of Cuffe Parade near Colaba. From there, they split into four groups and took taxis, and moved to their floors.
Fishermen suspected of being terrorists
It is said that some of the fishermen were suspicious when they saw them coming down to the fish market and they also informed the police about this, but the police of the area did not give any special attention to it nor did they grow up Informed officers or intelligence forces.
52 people killed in firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal
Police received the news of firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminal at 9.30 pm. It was told that two attackers fired indiscriminately in the main hall of the railway station here. One of the attackers was Muhammad Ajmal Kasab, who has now been hanged. Both the attackers fired 15 minutes from AK 47 rifles, killing 52 people and injuring more than 100 people.
Firing in many famous places in Mumbai
This firing of terrorists was not limited to Shivaji Terminal. Leopold Cafe in South Mumbai was also one of the few places that became a target of terrorist attacks. It is one of Mumbai's renowned restaurants, so many foreigners were among the 10 people killed in the shootout there, while many were injured. Bullets fired into the walls of the Leopold Cafe, which had been serving guests since 1871, left traces of the attack.
Flown two taxis
It was reported at 10:30 in the night that a taxi had been blown up in the Vile Parle area in which the driver and a passenger were killed, so fifteen to twenty minutes before that a similar explosion was reported from Boribandar in which a taxi driver and Two passengers lost their lives. About 15 were also injured in these attacks.
The Three Big Fronts of 26/11
This story of the terrorist attack did not end here. The three major fronts of 26/11 included Mumbai's Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, and Nariman House. When the attack took place, there were 450 guests at the Taj and 380 at the Oberoi. Especially the smoke emanating from the Taj Hotel building later became the hallmark of this attack on Mumbai.
Live coverage of media helped terrorists
The next morning of the attack, on 27 November, it was reported that all the hostages of the Taj Hotel had been freed, but later it was reported that the attackers had just taken some hostages, including many foreigners. Both hotels were surrounded by Rapid Action Ford (RPF), Marine Commandos, and National Security Guard (NSG) commandos during the attacks. The media's live coverage helped the terrorists a lot as they were getting to know about the actions of the security forces on TV.
The action of the security forces lasted for three days
The encounter between the security forces and the militants continued for three days. During this time, there were explosions, fires, bullets in Mumbai, and hopes of hostages falling apart. Not only the eye of one and a quarter billion people from India but the eyes of the world remained on the Taj, Oberoi, and Nariman House.
Many foreign guests were present at the Taj during the attack
On the day the Taj Hotel was attacked, many members of the Parliamentary Committee of the International Trade Association stayed in the hotel, although none of them suffered any damage. When the attacks started, British Member of European Parliament Sajjad Karim was in the Taj lobby, then German MP Erica Mann had to hide away to save her life. Among the people present in Oberoi were many well-known people. These included Indian MP NN Krishnadas, who was having dinner with Sir Ghulam Noon, a prominent British businessman.
The attackers also captured Nariman House
The two attackers also captured Nariman House, the main center of the Jews in Mumbai. Many people were taken hostage there. The NSG commandos then stormed Nariman House and after hours of fighting, the attackers were wiped out but one of the NSG commandos was also killed.