27 November 2008

MUMBAI – Nearly 80 people were killed in a series of attacks apparently targeting foreigners in the Indian city of Mumbai late Wednesday, as heavily armed Islamist militants hit two luxury hotels.

A group calling itself the "Deccan Mujahedeen" claimed responsibility for the assaults on the landmark Taj Mahal and Trident hotels in the south of the city and a number of shooting and bombing incidents elsewhere, the Press Trust of India said.

Maharashtra state chief secretary Johnny Joseph said 78 people had been killed. Estimates of the number of injured ranged from 200 to 350.

Maharashtra state police chief A.N. Roy told the NDTV channel that "unknown terrorists" had opened fire in "at least seven to eight places" across the city.

The focus of the coordinated assaults was the two upscale hotels, with gunmen taking foreign guests hostage and exchanging fire with anti-terrorist commando units.

Commandos stormed the Taj early Thursday, apparently leading to the release of guests inside, with television footage showing people being shepherded out of the building.

Shortly afterwards, the upper floors of the landmark hotel became engulfed in flames and huge plumes of smoke billowed out from its distinctive red dome. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze or whether the gunmen were still inside.

One of those killed during the operation was Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare.

Police said two gunmen were shot dead.

Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A.K. Sharma said several men armed with AK-47 rifles had stormed into the passenger hall of Mumbai's main Chhatrapati Shivaji railway and opened fire and thrown grenades.

At least 10 people were killed in the attack shortly after 10:30pm (1700 GMT).

Elsewhere, firing was also reported at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, and three people were reported killed in what police called a "bomb blast" in a taxi in the southeast of the city.

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