27 Nov : Blaming elements outside the country for the terror strikes in Mumbai, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has warned that India will not tolerate the use of territories of its neighbours for attacks here.
Talking tough in an extraordinary address to the nation, he said: "It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with the single minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country."
India will take up "strongly with our neighbours that the use of their territory for launching attacks on us will not be tolerated and that there would be a cost if suitable measures are not taken by them."
He said the "well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners."The Prime Minister asserted that "strongest possible measures" would be taken to deal with such elements, including the use of the National Security Act and setting up of a Federal Investigation Agency to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
"We will take a number of measures to strengthen the hands of our police and investigation authorities. We will curb the flow of funds to suspect organisations. We will restrict the entry of suspects into the country.
"We will go after these individuals and organizations and make sure that every perpetrator, organiser and supporter of terror, whatever his affiliation or religion may be, pays a heavy price for these cowardly and horrific acts against our people," the Prime Minister said.
While the National Security Act would be employed to deal with situations of this kind, the existing laws would be tightened to ensure that there were no loopholes available to terrorists to escape the clutches of the law, he said.
"Most importantly, it is essential to immediately set up a Federal Investigation Agency to go into terrorist crimes of this kind and ensure that the guilty are brought to book," Singh said.
Terror strikes hit life in fast-paced Mumbai
Terror-hit Mumbai came to a virtual standstill on Thursday with trains running almost empty and streets wearing a deserted look as government asked residents not to panic in the face of the most audacious militant attack on the metropolis.A curfew-like situation prevailed in south Mumbai, the metropolis’ business district which is the centre of terror attacks since Wednesday night.
The otherwise overcrowded suburban trains, the lifeline of Mumbai, were running on schedule but with only a few office-goers as passengers on Thursday morning.
Schools and colleges were shut down by authorities and trading at Bombay Stock Exchange and commodity markets stalled in view of the grim situation.
Mumbai rocked by terror attacks
At least 100 people have been killed and nearly 300 injured so far in the multiple attacks.The terrorists struck with impunity in Mumbai on Wednesday night in coordinated multiple blasts and gunfire in a dozen areas including at iconic landmarks CST railway station and two five star hotels—Oberoi and Taj.
While on early Thursday army commandoes moved into the luxury Oberoi and the Taj Mahal hotels to flush out terrorists holed up hours after an unspecified number of heavily armed gunmen went on a rampage in ten places in South Mumbai killing 80 persons and taking some foreigners hostage.
Four suspected terrorists were killed in two separate incidents overnight including two during a gun battle in the country’s iconic landmark Taj hotel, police said.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil said nine suspected terrorists have been arrested.
ATS chief Hemant Karkare killed in terror strikes
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said five police officers including Anti Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare were killed in one of the worst terror strikes in the country’s financial capital that in all claimed the lives of at least 11 police personnel.
Karkare(54), who is probing the Malegaon blasts case, was gunned down when he was leading an operation at Hotel Taj against terrorists who had taken 15 people, including seven foreigners, as hostages.
He was hit by three bullets in his chest. One MP Krishan Das and 200 people were stranded in Taj hotel.
Another IPS officer Ashok Marutirao Kamte, a 1989 batch IPS officer, was killed while fighting terrorists at Metro Cinema in the city along with encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar who also gunned down as one of the worst terror strikes brought Mumbai to the knees.
"The operation(by security forces) is still going on," Deshmukh also said. Besides army commandoes, naval commandos and Rapid Action force personnel joined in the operations to rescue those stranded in the two hotels.
Five columns of Army and 200 NSG commandoes have been rushed.Two sten guns have been recovered by police so far, he added.Deshmukh said it was not immediately known how many terrorists were involved in the audacious attack in ten places that shook the western metropolis.
The chief minister said the Taj and Oberoi is not in control yet. He said there are no terrorists in Cama hospital which was also targeted by gunmen.
Hostages still being held at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi
Police reported that some hostages were still being held at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi with eyewitnesses saying the gunmen had targeted foreigners after they kept shouting: "Who has U.S. or U.K. passports?" Several guests were also stuck.
Fire was still raging in the old wing of Taj hotel several hours after it was rocked by five to six blasts and normous clouds of black smoke rose from the the century-old edifice on Mumbai’s waterfront.