Eleven of 12 Saudi hostages rescued from Mumbai hotels

Dubai, Nov 28 (PTI) Eleven Saudi nationals, including
three diplomats, taken hostage in Mumbai's Taj and
Trident-Oberoi Hotels, have been safely evacuated while one
man is still missing.

The diplomats rescued Thursday have been shifted to the
Saudi Consulate in Mumbai while eight others, one of them a
young boy, will be flown back to the country Friday, a Saudi
Gazette report said.

"We are still looking for a Saudi citizen who has
telephoned us (from the Trident) and asked for help," Saudi
charge d'affaires Muhammad Barri told the newspaper from New
Delhi.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has instructed the
the country's missions in India to assist Saudi nationals
seeking refuge.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has denounced the terrorist
attacks in India's financial hub and expressed its condolences
to the Indian government and people.

Arab and Islamic organisations have also denounced the
terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) condemned the attacks, saying violence had no
justification.

"These acts of violence contradict all human values and
can be justified by nothing," an OIC spokesman said at the
group's headquarters here.

In the UAE, expatriate Indians have been watching with
bated breath as events in Mumbai unfolded. A UK national of
Indian origin, who chose to remain anonymous, said her close
family friend remained trapped inside the Oberoi and the
family is on the edge waiting for information.

Meanwhile, most flights from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai remained
unaffected. PTI