ID :
33045
Sat, 11/29/2008 - 23:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/33045
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Lashker militants began killing spree in high seas
Mumbai, Nov 29 (PTI) The militants, who entered into India's financial capital Mumbai by boats to carry out probably the worst terror attack on India, began their killing spree in the high seas where they killed five fishermen, who were earlier reported "missing".
The militants killed and threw off-board four members
of Indian fishing trawler 'Kuber' soon after they had hijacked
it, while the fifth person, identified as Balwant Tandel, was
beheaded as the vessel neared the Mumbai shores, sources said.
In fact, the investigators are now corroborating the
information they gathered with that of the version of the
arrested Lashker-e-Taiba militant Ajmal Amin Kamal.
So far, it has emerged that Kamal, along with another
11 Lashker cadres, had sailed off the Karachi port city in a
merchant vessel and got down at 10 nautical miles in Indian
waters.
Kamal, who had been maintaining that they had used
the fibre glass boats to reach Mumbai on Wednesday night, has
now confessed that they also used a fishing trawler, which was
reported to be "missing" after rough weather on November 18.
And after killing the five crew members, the militants
docked the vessel at Sasool area and began their massacre with
clear cut instructions from across the border that "no mercy
needs to be shown".
Giving an insight into the Lashker's seas-warfare, he
is said to have claimed that, along with other LeT operatives,
they were trained in marine commando techniques on Mangla Dam,
a reservoir stretching between Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK)
to Punjab in Pakistan.
In fact, Lashker chose the sea route to reach
India's financial capital as the militant outfit was finding
it increasingly difficult to sneak into the country through
the Line-of-Control.
The militants' journey began in Lahore before they
reached Karachi with strict instructions that they should not
be talking to any fellow passengers or among themselves during
the train journey to the port-city, the sources said.
After sailing in a merchant vessel from Karachi, they
found the Indian vessel.
Subsequently, the dozen people split into at least
five groups that created havoc in five-star hotels -- Taj and
Trident. The terrorists were carrying dry fruits, suggesting
they were prepared for a long-drawn battle.
Choice of targets -- Taj Mahal hotel and Oberoi -- was
given to them by a Lashker commander in Karachi before they
sailed to carry out the attack as these two hotels were always
frequented by foreigners, especially Britons and Americans due
to its proximity to the Arabian Sea, the sources said.
The arrested militant claimed that Mumbai's Nariman
House was selected as it was home to a large number of Israeli
families and a Jewish prayer house, and was being frequented
by Americans intelligence officials, the sources said.
The sources said the group was joined by some of the
local contacts who provided them with logistics like bags and
dry fruits.
While some reports suggested that two militants had
enrolled in Taj as waiter and cook very recently, it was not
immediately confirmed as investigators suggested that it might
take more time to corroborate the claims.
The arrested militant also claimed that at least three
of them in the group had come to Mumbai earlier, visited the
two hotels and were well versed with the exit routes specially
the false ceiling of the Hotel Taj.
The arrested militant, also known as Faisal Haroun, a
top Lashker operative who commanded the terror group's India-
operations out of Bangladesh, as one of the main conspirators
in this operation.
Haroun, according to intelligence agencies, have been
using a shipping network, including merchant ships and small
fishing boats, to move explosives to Lashker units operating
in India.
The sources claimed Haroun had also been attempting
to set up an Indian Ocean base for the Lashker, along with a
Male (Maldives)-based resident, Ali.
In 2007, the presence of terror groups in the
Maldives, including the bombing of tourists in Male and the
imposing Shariya law in one of the islands was seen as a
danger to the country's western marine security. PTI
The militants killed and threw off-board four members
of Indian fishing trawler 'Kuber' soon after they had hijacked
it, while the fifth person, identified as Balwant Tandel, was
beheaded as the vessel neared the Mumbai shores, sources said.
In fact, the investigators are now corroborating the
information they gathered with that of the version of the
arrested Lashker-e-Taiba militant Ajmal Amin Kamal.
So far, it has emerged that Kamal, along with another
11 Lashker cadres, had sailed off the Karachi port city in a
merchant vessel and got down at 10 nautical miles in Indian
waters.
Kamal, who had been maintaining that they had used
the fibre glass boats to reach Mumbai on Wednesday night, has
now confessed that they also used a fishing trawler, which was
reported to be "missing" after rough weather on November 18.
And after killing the five crew members, the militants
docked the vessel at Sasool area and began their massacre with
clear cut instructions from across the border that "no mercy
needs to be shown".
Giving an insight into the Lashker's seas-warfare, he
is said to have claimed that, along with other LeT operatives,
they were trained in marine commando techniques on Mangla Dam,
a reservoir stretching between Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK)
to Punjab in Pakistan.
In fact, Lashker chose the sea route to reach
India's financial capital as the militant outfit was finding
it increasingly difficult to sneak into the country through
the Line-of-Control.
The militants' journey began in Lahore before they
reached Karachi with strict instructions that they should not
be talking to any fellow passengers or among themselves during
the train journey to the port-city, the sources said.
After sailing in a merchant vessel from Karachi, they
found the Indian vessel.
Subsequently, the dozen people split into at least
five groups that created havoc in five-star hotels -- Taj and
Trident. The terrorists were carrying dry fruits, suggesting
they were prepared for a long-drawn battle.
Choice of targets -- Taj Mahal hotel and Oberoi -- was
given to them by a Lashker commander in Karachi before they
sailed to carry out the attack as these two hotels were always
frequented by foreigners, especially Britons and Americans due
to its proximity to the Arabian Sea, the sources said.
The arrested militant claimed that Mumbai's Nariman
House was selected as it was home to a large number of Israeli
families and a Jewish prayer house, and was being frequented
by Americans intelligence officials, the sources said.
The sources said the group was joined by some of the
local contacts who provided them with logistics like bags and
dry fruits.
While some reports suggested that two militants had
enrolled in Taj as waiter and cook very recently, it was not
immediately confirmed as investigators suggested that it might
take more time to corroborate the claims.
The arrested militant also claimed that at least three
of them in the group had come to Mumbai earlier, visited the
two hotels and were well versed with the exit routes specially
the false ceiling of the Hotel Taj.
The arrested militant, also known as Faisal Haroun, a
top Lashker operative who commanded the terror group's India-
operations out of Bangladesh, as one of the main conspirators
in this operation.
Haroun, according to intelligence agencies, have been
using a shipping network, including merchant ships and small
fishing boats, to move explosives to Lashker units operating
in India.
The sources claimed Haroun had also been attempting
to set up an Indian Ocean base for the Lashker, along with a
Male (Maldives)-based resident, Ali.
In 2007, the presence of terror groups in the
Maldives, including the bombing of tourists in Male and the
imposing Shariya law in one of the islands was seen as a
danger to the country's western marine security. PTI
