The 2008 Mumbai attack was a chain of terrorist attacks that happened in November 2008 when ten members of the Pakistani Islamic terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out 12 planned shooting and bombing operations over four days in Mumbai.
All About the 2008 Mumbai Attack In India
The Assailants
The gunmen first boarded a cargo ship flying the flag of Pakistan before hijacking an Indian fishing vessel and killing five crew members. They used inflatable boats to travel to Badhwar Park and the Sassoon Docks, adjacent to Mumbai’s Gateway of India landmark, after they were close to the city’s shore.
To carry out the attacks, they divided into at least three groups and hijacked vehicles, including a police van. The assailants employed grenades and automatic guns.
The Targets
Five central locations in the financial capital were attacked by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal train station, Leopold Café, Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi-Trident Hotel, and the Nariman House.
Target 1: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
The Central Railways corporate office is located near the Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus. Every day, more than 3.5 million people use the station.
Mohamed Ajmal Amir Kasab and Ismail Khan, two terrorists, entered the station at around 9:20 in the evening and immediately began firing randomly from their Kalashnikov weapons and throwing grenades. Fifty-eight people perished, and 104 people were injured in the tragedy.
Target 2: Leopold Cafe and Bar
The Leopold Café and Bar were founded in 1871 and are a well-known hangout that Europeans and Indians attend. Two terrorists —Hafiz Arshad, also known as Abdul Rehman Bada, and Naser, also known as Abu Umar—entered the café at around 9:40 PM and immediately began firing indiscriminately with AK-47 assault rifles.
A single grenade was thrown and exploded. There were ten fatalities and several injuries. The two terrorists fled toward the Taj Mahal Hotel, which is located about half a kilometer from the café, after around five minutes.
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Target 3: Taj Mahal Hotel
The Taj Mahal Hotel was constructed in 1903 and is a landmark in Mumbai. It contains two wings: the Taj Towers, which has 275 rooms, and the Heritage Wing, which has 290 rooms. The Taj Mahal Hotel was the target of four terrorists: Shoaib, Javed, and the two terrorists who attacked the Leopold Café and Bar, Hafiz Arshad, and Nasir.
At 9:38 PM, the first couple walked into the main lobby, and twenty persons were killed in the first five minutes after they opened fire. At 21:43, the second pair entered the hotel via the North Court door, threw grenades, and opened fire without regard for the target.
Everyone who got in their way was killed when the four terrorists made their way up to the sixth level of the Heritage Wing. They burned down part of the hotel, and the Heritage Wing’s first, fifth, and sixth floors were utterly destroyed. The CCTV cameras at the hotel have recorded some of these instances.
Target 4: Oberoi-Trident Hotel
The Oberoi and Trident wings of the hotel are its two divisions, and they have 877 rooms altogether. Two terrorists—Abdul Rehman Chotta and Fahadullah—entered the Trident Hotel through the main door at around 10:00 PM and began shooting randomly.
They moved across to the Oberoi and opened fire into a dining establishment. Two IEDs were detonated. When they made their way to the Oberoi’s higher floors, the terrorists killed any guests and employees who stood in their way.
Ultimately, they took refuge on the 16th and 18th levels, holding many visitors hostage. They held out for three days, killing about 30 individuals then.
Target 5: Fifth Target: Nariman House
A five-story structure with the name Nariman House was bought by the Chabad Liberation Movement of Hasidic Jews, an orthodox Jewish group, two years ago. Its new name is Chabad House.
The structure was home to a preacher and his family, frequently hosting Jewish tourists. Babar Imran and Nazir, two terrorists, opened fire outside Chabad House around 10:25 and entered the house. Several hostages were abducted.
The police and terrorists traded gunfire throughout the night of November 26 and the following day. A massive IED blast destroyed the wall at the back of Nariman House. The police managed to rescue 14 persons from Chabad House during the raids. The Rabbi’s maidservant also survived with the Rabbi’s two-year-old son in tow.
The Impact
Following the 2008 Mumbai Attack, all schools, colleges, and most offices were closed.
On November 27, 2008, both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange were closed. The city has also stopped being used for the filming of Bollywood movies and TV shows. In the interest of customer and crew safety, many foreign airlines temporarily ceased service to Mumbai.
The 2008 Mumbai Attack was the deadliest that the nation has ever seen. For the first time, terrorists from a Pakistani terror group who entered over the sea using sophisticated technological devices participated in active warfare for more than 60 hours on Indian land.
Indian Government Response
On Tuesday, December 2, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security was held to discuss the National Security Guards’ expansion outside of Delhi. The goal is to permanently station National Security Guard’s anti-terrorist squads in cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata to avoid wasting time travelling from Delhi.
Because the 2008 Mumbai attack involved a gunfight that lasted 59 straight hours, all NSG commandos will now go through a new training module to understand how to handle future anti-siege operations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How many died in Hotel Mumbai?
Ten Pakistani terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba attacked Mumbai skyscrapers, murdering 164 people. One of the shooters escaped the attacks, while nine of them were slain.
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What did India do after 26/11?
The Indian government has taken actions to set up an anti-terror security structure in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai Attack. The attacks, which lasted for over four days, revealed many security flaws in India.
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Why was Mumbai attacked in 2008?
Mumbai stood for the emergence of the new India, which, thanks to its links abroad, threatened the anti-Indian ideology of the terrorist organization and its backers. The terrorists who attacked Mumbai were well-prepared and armed, and it was organized after substantial intelligence had been gathered.
The Bottom Line: What We Know
The 2008 Mumbai Attack occurred due to the danger posed by the anti-Indian ideology of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and its supporters. At least 174 people died, including 26 foreigners and 20 members of the security forces. Almost 300 persons suffered injuries. Nine of the attackers who used guns died, while one was taken into custody.
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