Mumbai Terrorist Attacks of 2008

On the dreadful night of 26^th November in the year 2008, 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is an Islamist terrorist organization from the country Pakistan, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks which lasted for four days across the city of Mumbai. The terrorist had shot down dead approximately 140 Indians and 25 foreign tourists. The whole world shook with terror with this act. When the gunmen fired inhumanly at the people, he seemed at war not only with India but with the whole world. 

In this context, we are going to bring out the fearful glimpse of the Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008. We will be providing insights about the 2008 Mumbai attacks locations, and other information which will add up to the frightful night.  

2008 Mumbai Attacks Locations

The terrorists had targeted the following places– 

1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (abbreviated as CST) railway station

2. Cama Hospital

3. Nariman House business and residential complex

4. Leopold Café

5. Taj Hotel and Tower and Oberoi-Trident Hotel.

6. Taj Mahal Hotel - Mumbai Attack

The Fate of the 10 Terrorists after the Attack

Thirteen years ago, on the night of the 26^th of November 2008, ten Pakistan-based terrorists had launched coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in the finance hub of India – Mumbai. They targeted five major locations, killing approximately 166 people and injuring over 300 people.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists reached the city of Mumbai on a hijacked fishing trawler that came from a Pakistani port in Karachi. Nine among the ten terrorists were killed in their four-day operation by the Indian armed forces, the lone terrorist named Ajmal Kasab was captured alive and was sentenced to death at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in the year 2012.

Blasts and Gunshots – the Heinous Attacks by the Terrorist in the Different Locations 

The Mumbai bomb blast 2008, started with the attack in the Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus. The terrorists had hijacked the cars, which included a police van, and they had split into different groups to carry out their heinous attacks.

The terrorists had armor of automatic weapons with grenades to attack at their destined sites.

• They entered The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at around 9.20 p.m. Kasab and another Pakistani terrorist opened an indiscriminate fire into crowds at the station. The attack lasted about 90 minutes which left 58 people dead and over 100 people were injured.

• The second attack took place another 8-10 minutes later at the Nariman House business and in the residential complex housing of the Jewish Chabad Lubavitch outreach center.

Before attacking here, the terrorists blew up a nearby gas station. They killed the rabbi there; his wife and five Israeli were captivated during a three-day siege. Luckily, the two-year-old child of the rabbi survived after his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels smuggled the baby to a safety point.

• Next, at around 9.40 p.m., four of the ten terrorists struck the upscale and the popular Leopold Café, where they showered gunfire on the diners, killing 10 in the café. The attack lasted between 10 to 15 minutes. The terrorists with this also planted bombs in two taxis which killed five people and had injured around 15 in the café.

• They then proceed to the Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower Hotel.

The terrorists entered the hotel by breaking down a side door where they first attacked the guests who were around the swimming pool and then moved inside to the bars and The Oberoi-Trident Hotel was then attacked by two terrorists who entered the hotel through the restaurant side and fired on to the crowd. They later moved through the hotel looking for any targets.

• They had killed around 30 people in a manner of siege that lasted for three days.
  After attacking the CST railway station, Kasab and another terrorist Ismail Khan targeted the Cama Hospital. They arrived from the back gate of the hospital, but the alert hospital staff had already locked all the doors. The two men then ambushed a police team who were outside the hospital, thereby killing six of them, including ATS chief officer Hemant Karkare, and hijacked the police jeep.

• Kasab and the other terrorist named Ismail Khan were grabbed near Girgaum Chowpatty. Here a police constable named Tukaram Omble seized the barrel of their rifle. This opportunity gave the police team time to overpower the terrorist Kasab and capture him, while the other terrorist was killed by them.

Taj Mahal Hotel - Mumbai Attack 

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel was chosen specifically by the terrorist group in an attempt to strike a blow against the symbol of Indian wealth and progress. As Mumbai is the financial hub of India the terror group attacked this place.

2008 Mumbai attacks start date was 26^th of November and on the same date, Taj hotel was attacked. First, when the terrorist entered, they did material damage, which included the destruction of the hotel's roof. The hostages were taken captive during the attacks, and around 167 people were killed in the hotel which included many foreigners. 

The casualties were mostly Indian citizens, although westerners who were carrying foreign passports were singled out of the hotel. After which the Indian commandos then killed the terrorists who barricaded the hotel, finally ending the three-day battle on the 29^th of November. A minimum of 31 people died at the Taj Hotel.  

How Many People Died in 26/11?

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station:

On the 26^th of November 2008 – Around 58 people were killed during a 90-minute attack.

As the gunmen leave the train station, they had fired into a crowd that had gathered around a police barricade. Ten additional people were also killed outside the terminal.

• Cafe Leopold:

On November 26, in the year 2008 - Approximately 10 people were killed in an attack that had lasted for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Cama and Albless Hospital:

On November 26, 2008 – after failed attempt to enter the hospital, gunmen ambushed a group of police officers, killing six of them.

• Nariman House:

On November 26-28, 2008 - Seven people were killed in a three-day siege at a Jewish community central place.

• Oberoi-Trident Hotel:

November 26-28, 2008 - Around 30 people got killed in the three-day siege.

• Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel:

November 26-29, 2008 – Approximately around 31 people were killed in the four-day siege.

Did You Know?

Nine of the terrorist gunmen were killed during the Mumbai attack itself, while only one terrorist survived. Mohammed Ajmal Kasab is the lone surviving gunman who was executed by giving a death sentence in the month of November in the year 2012.

The group of terrorists traveled from Karachi, Pakistan, to Mumbai via boat. Along the way, they hijacked a fishing trawler and killed four crew members, and then threw their bodies overboard. They also had slit the captain's throat wide open.

The terrorists had docked at the Mumbai waterfront near the Gateway near the Indian monument.  

Conclusion 

Mumbai bomb blast 2008 had left a great and devastating impact not only in the mind of Indians but on the people worldwide. Everybody of sane mentality aspires to a terror-free world which seems very tough to achieve for all these terror attacks happening worldwide.