Forces in Mumbai still battle to flush out ultras

Mumbai, Nov 27 (PTI) Close to 24 hours after the audacious terror attacks, security forces were on Thursday engaged in a grim battle to flush out terrorists holed up in two luxury hotels and a Jewish residential complex where more than 200 people including foreigners were trapped as hostages or used as human shields.

Elite commandoes of the topline security forces from
army, navy, NSG and Rapid Action Force were involved in the
raging encounter with unspecified number of heavily-armed
terrorists in Taj and Trident (Oberoi) hotels where throughout
the day grenade explosions have set various floors on fire.

As dusk fell, there was expectation that the forces
would intensify their assault to overwhelm the terrorists.
About 20 to 25 of them were believed to have come in three
small inflatable boats, whose mother ship has been traced by
Indian naval ships patrolling the Arabian Sea.

In all, 101 people including nine foreigners and
policemen have lost their lives while about 300 people were
injured in the worst terror attacks seen in the country in
which desperate men fired indiscriminately at people.

Targeting foreigners, particularly Americans and
Britishers, the terrorists said to be five to seven in both
the hotels held residents hostages.

While all the hostages in Taj hotel have been rescued,
there are some people trapped in the rooms who are being used
as human shields.

In Trident alone, about 200 people have been trapped--
100 on the Trident side and 100 on the Oberoi side. While
there were no official figures available about the number of
people trapped or rescued, DGP A N Roy said all the hostages
in Taj have been rescued but there could be people in their
rooms.

Roy talked tough saying they would either kill or
capture the terrorists alive.

There was also another scene of action in the Jewish
complex Nariman House where four-five Israelis have been
believed to have been held hostage by an equal number of
terrorists.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said seven terrorists
were killed by the security forces. One terrorist was caught
alive in Trident hotel, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said.
He has been identified as Abu Ismail hailing from Faridkot in
Pakistan.

The NSG commandoes have cleared by evening three floors
of Trident hotel. Late in the evening, 10 more were rescued
from this hotel.

The topmost army official in western India, Major
General R K Hooda, G-o-C, Maharashtra, told reporters that the
army was preparing for the "final assault" to flush out the
ultras in the Taj hotel.

"The NSG is here. They are carrying out a very
deliberative operation. They are trained for it and are the
best in the country. I have faith in them," he said.

While the army will carry out the flushing out
operation in Taj hotel, the specialised commandos of the NSG
and naval MARCOS will undertake operations at the Trident
hotel.

The Maharashtra government, which lost its top
anti-terror police officer Hemant Karkare to terrorist
bullets, today gave temporary charge of ATS to K P
Raghuvanshi, the Additional DGP of Railways.

The terrorists are believed to have come to Mumbai by
a ship 'M V Alpha' and the Coast Guard launched a hunt for the
vessel, pressing two aircraft and choppers into service.

Mumbai looked like a war zone as sharp shooters of
army, NSG and other security forces stormed the landmark
hotels to overwhelm the terrorists holed out there after
several residents were rescued in the wee hours.

Raging fire and plumes of black smoke were seen
billowing from the central dome of the century-old heritage
Taj hotel opposite the Gateway of India as firemen struggled
to douse them.PTI TEAM