Detail Of Terrorism Update

At least 101 persons, including 14 policemen and nine foreigners, were killed and over 300 persons injured in multiple terrorist attacks in Mumbai which began on November 26-night and was going on till the reports last came in. Among those killed were chief of the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner of Police (east Mumbai), Ashok Kamte, and senior police officer Vijay Salaskar. The terrorists, who apparently came in by boats, struck at 10 places in south Mumbai including five-star hotels, hospitals and train stations, according to NDTV. Among the locations attacked were: Trident Hotel, Taj Hotel, Nariman House, Wadi Bunder, Cama hospital, GT hospital, VT station, Bootleggers pub, Girgaum and Metro cinema. There were also reports of a low intensity blast in Ville Parle and grenade attack in Santa Cruz. Two blasts have been reported in the Napean Sea road area of south Mumbai. There is a hostage situation in at least two locations - the Taj and the Trident hotels – when last reports came in. In the Taj Colaba, at least 100 people are believed to be trapped probably held hostage by terrorists. Some of these are Israeli and Canadian nationals.

The terrorists reportedly came in by sea from Karachi in Pakistan. A boat laden with explosives was recovered later at night off the Gateway of India. Five suspected terrorists were killed in two separate incidents overnight including two at Girgaum in south Mumbai during a gun battle and two sten guns have been recovered from them, police said. While NSG and Military Commandos have reportedly entered the Taj and Trident hotels, at least 800 Army personnel have been deployed at various locations in Mumbai. "Encounter is on between police and terrorists at Taj and Trident. Our people have surrounded them and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) team has arrived at the Taj hotel," said the Director General of Police, A. N. Roy.

Many foreigners have reportedly been held hostage by the terrorists. "Gunmen took 15 hostages and half of them foreigners," said an eye-witness at the Taj hotel. "Gunmen wanted anyone with British or American passport," said another eye-witness. At least four terrorists were holed up in the Taj Hotel where 40 to 50 guests were still trapped, Major R K Hooda, General Officer Commanding of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat, said. Speaking to NDTV, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil said, "There is no plan for talks with the terrorists." Claiming to have some "vital leads", he expressed confidence of a breakthrough soon. Intelligence sources said that a foreign hand is fully evident in these attacks. They have also reportedly arrested a Pakistan national from Chowpatty area in the city. Police chief A. N. Roy said, "There is no indication so far of the identity of the terrorists." He said that the terrorists were highly armed, level of weapons and training suggest that they are not locals.

An unknown outfit, Deccan Mujahideen, has sent an email to news organizations claiming that it carried out the Mumbai attacks.

One of the hidden terrorist inside the Oberoi hotel identified as Sahadullah demanded that all arrested Mujahideen should be released, while giving an interview to an unidentified news channel on November 26, reports Times of India. "There are seven of us inside Hotel Oberoi," and "We want all Mujahideens held in India released and only after that we will release the people… Release all the Mujahideens, and Muslims living in India should not be troubled", Sahadullah said.

Police said a family of mother, father, son and daughter were killed at Pillaiar Road in the Kalawanchikudi area of Batticaloa district on November 26, reports Colombo Page.

Separately, the Special Task Force (STF) personnel attacked a three-member LTTE group on November 25 in the Karaweddi area. The STF later recovered the dead bodies of all three militants along with two T-56 weapons, three anti-personnel mines, three fuses, eight magazines, 124 rounds ammunition and two packs from the incident site.

In another incident, the STF killed two militants in an encounter at a location 329 and 330-km posts on the Urani-Komari road in the Ampara district. The STF later recovered the dead bodies of two militants along with two T-56 weapons, six magazines, two hand grenades and a few dry ration packets.

Another suspect who did not obey an order to stop near a STF checkpoint was also shot dead in the Eastern Province, police sources said.

Five persons, including three Taliban militants, were killed on November 26 in two separate clashes between the Taliban and police in Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Daily Times reported. The first clash erupted when over 100 militants, believed to have entered the city from Darra Adam Khel, besieged the house of Adezai Union Council chief Abdul Malik. According to Malik, the Taliban ordered him to surrender or join them. Upon refusal, they targeted his house with rockets and hand-grenades, he told reporters at Lady Reading Hospital. Malik’s two relatives, Khayal Gul and Sher Mast, were killed while six people were injured in the attack. Malik said security forces came to his rescue soon and attacked the Taliban. After a two-hour battle, the Taliban fled from the incident site leaving behind two dead bodies.

Meanwhile, locals said around 10 members of the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) arrived in Board Bazaar on Ring Road and warned shop owners against selling music cassettes and compact discs, adding that they left the area after a clash with a police patrolling party. One LI activist was killed and two were arrested following an exchange of fire near Achini.

Helicopter gunships shelled various areas in the Safi tehsil (revenue division) in the Mohmand Agency of FATA killing two Taliban militants and a civilian and injuring 12 others, Daily Times reported. Among the injured are four militants and eight civilians, including a woman and a child.

Elsewhere in FATA, two Taliban militants were killed and several injured in the ongoing military operation in Bajaur Agency. The duo was killed in a clash with security forces (SFs) in the Tang Khatta area. SFs also targeted Taliban positions with artillery in the Nawagai and Khar tehsils.

The troops are now advancing towards Mullaitivu, the military said on November 26, reported Colombo Page. Troops of 59 Division now consolidating positions north of Kumulamunai in the Mullaitivu battlefront fought fierce battles with the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants that lasted for few hours inflicting heavy casualties on the outfit, defence officials said. In a subsequent search operation conducted in the area troops reportedly recovered dead bodies of five militants. Another battle formation under 59 Division marching towards Alampil on the north-eastern coast captured over one square kilometre, defence sources added. In addition, Task Force 3 troops are advancing towards Mullaitivu along the A-34 Mankulam-Mullaitivu road, defence sources added further.

A day earlier, troops clashed with the LTTE militants in the Andankulam and Kumulamunai areas of Vavuniya district killing and injuring an unspecified number of militants.

Separately, troops confronted a group of LTTE militants in the Kumulamunai area and later recovered the dead body of one female cadre along with two hand grenades and one magazine on November 25.

A cadre belonging to the Janashakti dalam (squad) of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML), identified as Kalyankar Nagaraju alias Ramesh, was killed in an encounter with the Police on the outskirts of Gollapalli and Nimmapalli villages under Konaraopeta mandal (administrative unit) in the Karimnagar district on November 26, The Hindu reported. He was from Kamareddy in the Nizamabad district.

Separately, arms, including one .410 Muscat and one .22 bore rifle belonging to cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), were recovered by the Police during combing operation at the centre of Railway Track of the Macherla-Nadikudi section in the Guntur district.

A construction site was attacked and one machine was set ablaze by some heavily armed cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in an unspecified place between Imamganj and Baluara of Gaya district on November 26, reports Zee News. According to sources, the Maoists set ablaze the machine of the contractor, identified as Abhay Singh, as he failed to pay the extortion money to them.

Around six Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) militants managed to decamp with the gun which they snatched away from the security force personnel belonging to the anti-poaching unit of the forest department in the Kaziranga National Park on November 25-night, reports Assam Tribune.

Three Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) militants were arrested by the Army from Dalaigaon village in the Morigaon district on November 26. They were identified as Mohammed Dadul, Habibur and Azizul Haque. The Army also recovered one 7.62 mm SLR, one .22 pistol, one SLR magazine, four rounds of ammunition and one mobile phone from their possession.

Separately, the security personnel of Sikh Light Infantry and Nalbari Police arrested two National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants, identified as Lauga Boro and Gobinda Musahari, from Pub Brahmasiari village under Borbori police station in the Baksa district on November 25, according to Telegraph. Two kilograms of RDX, a 9-mm pistol and ammunition were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants.

Further, a joint team of police and the Army arrested one United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militant, Debendra Saikia from Moranhabi village under Sapekhati police station in the Sivasagar district on November 26, reports Assam Tribune. Another ULFA militant, ‘self-styled sergeant major’ Amar Kakoti alias Kushal Konwar, was arrested by security personnel from Majulipur under Jonai police station in the Lakhimpur district on the same day, according to Telegraph. One 9-mm pistol and ammunition were recovered from his possession.

In another incident, a person, Abitulla Khan, was arrested along with a crude bomb from the Solmara area of Sonitpir district on November 26. Army sources said that it was the third incident of recovery of crude bombs from the Solmara area within the past one month.

On November 25, the Army neutralised a KLNLF camp at Chipilangsu in the Karbi Anglong district and recovered an AK-47 rifle, 33 rounds of M-20 ammunition, one KLNLF flag, three combat jackets, four blankets, and five kilograms of rice.

Elsewhere, the police recovered a bomb from a passenger bus at the Inter-State Bus Terminus near Kotoky Pukhuri on the western outskirts of the Jorhat town on November 26, reports Assam Tribune.

The security forces (SFs) on November 26 took control of Kabal in the Swat district while one more person was killed and 11 injured during the ongoing operation in the Swat Valley, The News reported. The militants also abducted a senior doctor from the Matta area and blew up a bridge at Sambat. A security official told APP that 27 Taliban militants were killed and