Mumbai Terrorist Attacks, 26 November 2008

Coordinated terrorist attacks involving at least ten locations in Mumbai, India. Western tourists have been taken hostage in the Taj, Oberoi and Ramada Hotels in the city.

The November 2008 Mumbai Aattacks were a series of ten coordinated attacks that occurred across Mumbai (Bombay), India's financial capital and largest city, on 26 November 2008. The attacks continued at least until 28 November at least 160 People including at least twenty-two foreign nationals have been confirmed dead, and at least 327 habe been injured. All except one of the attacks took place in South Mumbai; at the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station; at two five-star hotels: the Oberoi Trident at Nariman Point, and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower near the Gateway of India; at the Leopold Café, a popular tourist restaurant in Calaba; at the Cama Hospital; at the Orthodox Jewish-owned Nariman House; at the Matro Adlabs movie theatre; and at the Mumbai Police Headquarters where at least three high-level officers, including chief of the Anti Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra, were killed by gunfire. The tenth incident involved a taxi blast at Vile parle near the airoport but it is uncertain whether this is connccted with the South Mumbai attacks. Between fifty and sixty terrorists have been involved in the attacks.

Casualties

• Fatalities: 184
• Injuries: 900+

US Casualties

(U//FOUO) As of 0700 EST, 27 Nov 28, the United States Department of State has uncofirmed reports of: 2 American fatalities, 3 American injuries, and 20+ American hostages.

The US State Departement says all of the consulate employees have been accounted for and has establish a call center for Americans concerned about U.S. citizen family/friends in Mumbai. (1-888-407-4747)

As of 22:51 Israel Time, 28 Nov 2008; The Jerusalem Post citing a Chabad-Lubavitch spokesperson Rabbi Zalman Schmotkin, cites the following as killed. . JTA citing Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the director of American Friends of Lubavitch, cites that Rabbi Hlotzberg was a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen;

• Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holozberg
  • River Holtzberg
  • Benton Chroman, an Israeli with dual US citizenship
  • Leibish Teitlebaum, an American from Brooklyn

Synchronicity foundation related

• Alan Scherr
• Naomi Scherr

Deccan Mujahideen Claim Responsibility

A previously unknown group calling itself the "Deccan Mujahideen" have claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks today in Mumbai that hit at least seven locations and killed at least 60 peoples and injured more then 200, NDTV 24x7 TV, The Times of India, and AFP reported.

The terrorists, armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, opened fire at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal Killing at least 10 people, while more were killed at the Taj Hotel and in two bomb explosions targeting taxis, Hindustan Times reported. The lobby of the Oberoi (Trident) Hotel is reported to be on fire and the premises have been evacuated? Gunfire was also heard at Colaba Norman Point and at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai.

Western hostages are being held at being held at the Taj and the Oberoi Hotels, according to AFP and ALJazeera.

The name Deccan Mujahideen -- Deccan is a plateau region that covers most of southern India -- suggests it is a more localized offshoot of Indian Mujahideen, thus creating the impression that the group is proliferating into smaller branches.

Alternately, according to STRATFOR the use of a new name is part of groups' tactics to sow confusion within India's security apparatus. When members are arrested, they can intentionally lead Indian security force down the wrong path by claiming they are from a new group, or deny membership in an organization to protect other group members.

Possible Maritime Nexus

The Indian navy says its forces are boarding a cargo vessel suspected of ties to the attacks. Navy spokesman Capt. Manohar Nambiar said Thursday that the ship, the M/V Alpha, had recently come to Mumbai from Karachi, Pakistan. Nambiar says the navy has "located the ship and now we are in the process of boarding it and searching it" He gave no other details on the ship.

Timeline

Currant time in Mumbai is 230141, which is UTC +5:30

• 2115 - 5 armed man with AK-47s and grenades enter Cafe Leopold. Begin to open fire and throw grenades
• 2120 - 2 men on a scooter lob a grenade at a gas station near a popular pub. Then take cover and hostages in near-by business complex
• 2124 - Numerous armed men open fire at the CST Rail Station ticket counter and then flee site
• 2130 - Armed men walk into Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and start to open fire and taking hostages
• 2135 - Armed men walk into Oberoi Trident Hotel and being to open fire
• 2155 - A taxi explodes in Vile Parle, a suburb north of city where previous attacks took place
• 2215 - Armed men drive up to the Cama Hospital and begin to fire randomly outside and inside hospital.
• 2230 - Gunmen open fire at police near Metro Cinema and hijack police van. Video of police van hhijacked and shooting at bystanders (https://www.news18.com/videos/india/ff-mum-timeline-map-302736.html)
• 2245 - A taxi explodes in Wadi Bunder
• 2250 - Two men start to shoot and police return fire killing both men. Police later find 'rib-type' boats loaded with explosives

Timeline of attacks (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mumbai-attack-timeline-of-how-the-terror-362565)

Timeline of previous attacks (https://web.archive.org/web/20090107152305/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122772515602360289.html)