Jyoti Basu Dead

Jyoti Basu Dead, Veteran politician and 95 year old Marxist leader is dead. The former chief minister of Bengal was hospitalized with pneumonia and then put on a ventilator following acute breathing problems.

He was admitted last Friday and though his condition improved for some time, his health parameters turned awry from Tuesday and he had to be put on life support.

Jyoti Basu served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the Left Front government from June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000.In the year 1996, he was all set to be the consensus leader of the United Front for the post of the prime minister of India. However, it did not work out due to the CPI(M) decision of not participating in the government.

Jyoti Basu resigned from the Chief Minister’s post of West Bengal in 2000, citing health reasons and was succeeded by fellow CPI(M) politician Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Jyoti Basu hold the record for being the longest serving chief minister in the Indian political history.

Cold Wave Grips North India

Gorakhpur/Jammu: Cold wave gripped north India as dipping temperatures and dense fog made life difficult for people.
In Gorakhpur, there was less movement on roads as people chose to remain indoors due to the biting cold.
Thick fog enveloped the city and people huddled around fires to warm themselves.
Covered in thick woolens, the residents braved the winter chill as they went about their work amid a cover of fog. Number of students in schools and colleges declined as youngsters preferred to stay indoors.
"Today, it is very cold and the fog is also there. The number of students has also lessened as the students are not coming because of the cold," said Poonam Gupta, a resident.
Meanwhile, a thick fog engulfed Jammu hitting train and flight service in the region.
Many flights were cancelled following poor visibility due to the fog. The flights scheduled for Srinagar and Jammu, were cancelled while one of the Delhi-bound flight landed 45 minutes late from its arrival time.
Likewise, the train service was also affected, forcing passengers to spend long painful hours at the railway station in the biting cold.
"We are facing lot of problems. There is dense fog due to which the trains are running late. It is also very cold here. We are reaching late for our destinations due to the delay in trains'' running time," said Pradeep Kapoor, a passenger.
Many trains were arriving four to six hours behind their scheduled timings and the railway authorities in Jammu said, they were, on their part, ensuring that the corresponding trains left on time from the city.
"For past two three days, there has been dense fog and the trains are arriving late by four to six hours. But we are trying to ensure that their corresponding trains leave on time," said Ashok Kumar Sharma Divisional Traffic Manager, Jammu (DTM).
Meanwhile, the meteorological authorities in Jammu and Kashmir warned the residents to take precautions hinting at the weather conditions worsening in future.

Source:http://www.topnews.in

Pranab Mukherjee Asks Pakistan To Handover Terrorists

New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today reiterated that Pakistan should fulfill its commitments to take steps regarding terror elements perpetrating from its soil.
Inaugurating the two-day conference of Ambassadors and High Commissioners here, Mukherjee said India had sought support of international community to pressurize Pakistan to deal effectively with terrorism and also that infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan has to be dismantled permanently as it is the greatest danger to peace and security of the entire civilized world.
Expressing discontent with Pakistan''s flip-flop stand over taking action against terrorist outfits in the country, Mukherjee said India has so far acted with utmost restraint and is hopeful that international community will use its influence to urge Pakistani government to take effective action against the terror elements operating from its soil.
"Though India was persuading international community and Pakistan, it is clear that ultimately it is India, which will have to deal with the problem, and that India will take all measures necessary as it deemed fit to deal with the situation," he added.
He said India wants Pakistan to fulfill the commitments that Islamabad made in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks.
Source:http://www.topnews.in/

"I''m quiet emphatic on it, that we will expect from Pakistan to do whatever they committed to do, to fulfill their obedience, to fulfill their commitment," he added.
Around 120 heads of Indian missions from across the world are attending the conference to deliberate upon the diplomatic challenges before the country in the light of terrorism and global financial meltdown.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is scheduled to address the envoys on Tuesday.

Terror Structure In Pak Threat For World, Says Mukherjee

NEW DELHI: Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that alleged terror structure in Pakistan poses threat to the world.Addressing a specially convened two-day meeting of more than 120 Indian ambassadors here, Mukherjee hoped that the world would increase pressure over Pakistan to extend assistance to India in investigations of the Mumbai attacks.Source:http://www.thearynews.com/ Pranab Mukherjee earlier talking with media hoped that Pakistan will fulfil the promise to act against terrorists, otherwise India will punish the culprits involved in Mumbai terror attacks. Mukherjee said that India and other countries have repeatedly said that the terrorists and militants are a threat to Pakistan. Indian external minister expressed hope that Pakistan will initiate effective drive against terrorists and militants, otherwise India will launch offensive against these groups.According to sources the focus in the moot will be on the fallout of the Mumbai attacks and ties with Pakistan; the global financial crisis is also likely to come up.Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will address the envoys. Home Minister P Chidambaram is also likely to attend.

Sonia, SRK – Two Of The 50 Most Powerful People In The World

It’s a big blow for Aamir and Salman who have been professionally rivaling with Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan. Yes, SRK and Congress president Sonia Gandhi have been listed among the 50 most powerful people in the world by the prestigious Newsweek magazine.
Sonia Gandhi has been ranked at the 17th spot, while SRK has been listed at 41st spot in the magazine. About Sonia Gandhi, the magazine stated, “Although India’s political scene is riven by factions, Congress remains the strongest national force, and the Italian-born wife of Rajiv Gandhi rules it unchallenged. In the world’s largest democracy, she’s queen.”
About SRK the newsweekly said, "It's not just that his ( Shah Rukh Khan's) romantic flicks make gazillions, it's where those gazillions come from. Khan is huge in the Muslim world, even in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the mullahs ban his films. (The movies thrive on the black market."
Source:http://www.topnews.in/

President-elect Barack Obama tops the list. Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has got 20th place. The Others on the list include the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Iranian strongman Ayatollah Ali Khemenei, Saudi King Abdullah-bin-Abdul Aziz-al Saud, American General David Petraeus, Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, Pope Benedict XVI, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, popular show host Oprah Winfrey, and Osama Bin Laden

Sonia Gandhi Warns Countries Abetting Terrorism

Jammu: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has warned neighbouring countries against encouraging terrorism.
She was addressing an election rally in Dableer village near Jammu ahead of the final seventh phase of the assembly elections.
Sonia said India''s desire for peace should not be taken as a sign of weakness.
"We have always tried to maintain brotherly relationship with our neighbouring countries. The sad part is that our emotions have never been respected. I want to make one thing very clear that our wish or having peace and harmony should not be misunderstood as our weakness. People who are continuously encouraging terrorism from their soil, we want to tell them that we are competent of giving a befitting reply to them," she said.
Sonia Gandhi''s comment comes in the backdrop of the ongoing investigations against Pakistan-based outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group blamed for the recent rampage of Mumbai.
India, the United States and Britain have blamed LeT and other affiliated groups for the Mumbai attacks, saying Pakistan must do more to stamp out militants.
Source:http://www.topnews.in

UPA Chairperson congratulated people of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in large numbers in the ongoing assembly elections.
"I would like to congratulate all the people of Jammu and Kashmir and would like to appreciate for proving that you have deep faith in democracy. Despite the boycott call by some people, up till now, the voters came out in large number, thereby increasing respect and dignity of the state," she added.
Despite the poll boycott call given by the separatists, the polling in the trouble torn state has been witnessing a high voter turnout.
Twenty-one assembly constituencies in the three districts of Srinagar, Jammu and Samba will go to the polls on December 24 in the seventh and final phase.
The results will be declared on December 28.
The election is to form a new government to replace the Central rule imposed after a Congress party-led coalition government fell in July over a Amarnath shrine land transfer row.

India's Goa state bans beach parties on security fears

New Delhi - Authorities in India's south-western resort state of Goa have banned beach parties due to security threats following last month's Mumbai attacks, news reports said Sunday.
The state government decided to ban the popular beach parties during Christmas and New Year's holidays, after a security meeting on Saturday.
"There will be no beach parties from December 23, 2008 to January 5, 2009 due to security reasons. But hotel and traditional parties will be allowed," Goa Chief Minister M Digamber Kamat was quoted by the CNN-IBN news channel as saying.
According to a report in the Times of India, the state police had approached the government seeking a ban claiming intelligence inputs that "Goa in general and foreigners in particular" could face a terrorist strike.
Federal security agencies said additional police were deployed in the state and security was tightened along the Indian coastline following the November 26 Mumbai attacks which left 173 people dead.
Source By:http://www.topnews.in

The move was seen as a setback to the tourism industry in Goa, whose internationally renowned beaches attract over 2 million tourists every year.
Tens of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists throng to the beaches for celebrations at the close of the year.
Beach shack owners told the Times that the ban will hurt their business as their highest revenue was generated during parties on New Year's eve.
The season has already been slack with an almost 70 per cent drop in business owing to the global economic slowdown as well as the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

PM Dr. Manmohan Singh''s wife releases Khushwant Singh's book

New Delhi, Dec 21: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh''s wife, Gurusharan Kaur released writer Khushwant Singh''s English rendering of Sikh hymns here last evening.
The book "Songs Of The Gurus" is a compilation of Gurubanis, or Sikh religious verses.
"This book is about the translations of Gurubanis into English poetry, which I am familiar with," Kaur said while releasing the book.
Khushwant Singh said that it was a compilation of his old translations.
"This is a collection of my old translations. I continued them doing off and on, it''s a compilation," he said.
Khushwant Singh is a renowned Indian novelist, journalist and historian, acclaimed for his sarcastic writing.
Source By:http://www.topnews.com/

India conferred him with the civilian honour Padma Bhushan in 1974, which he gave back a decade later in protest against the 1984 siege on the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
His best known literary works include novels Train to Pakistan (a novel based on the India-Pakistan partition) and "In the Company of Women.

India may still strike at Pakistan: US report

WASHINGTON: India may have ruled out the military option against Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks but the international intelligence community continues to believe that strikes in PoK and elsewhere could still happen. Global intelligence service Stratfor, in its latest report, said, "Indian military operations against targets in Pakistan have in fact been prepared and await the signal to go forward." It added, "These most likely would take the form of unilateral precision strikes inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir, along with special forces action on the ground in Pakistan proper." The private sector intelligence service said that unlike the massive movements of 2002 during Operation Parakram, India's preparations this time were more under the radar and not visible to the world at large. Its only indication was the fact that the Border Security Force (BSF) has been put on high alert on the western sector as well as the eastern sector — this paramilitary force's main mandate would be to prevent infiltration. "Sources have indicated to Stratfor that New Delhi is going through the diplomatic motions in order to give Pakistan the opportunity to take care of the militant problem itself — but the Indians know that Islamabad has neither the will nor the capability to address their concerns," Stratfor said. Three weeks after the attacks, India has gone out of its way to reassure everyone that it is not thinking of military action on Pakistan. This was most recently conveyed by Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal to Awami National Party chief Afsandyar Wali Khan in Islamabad earlier this week. But India continues to tell all its international interlocutors that its patience will not last long, particularly if Islamabad cannot crack down on terrorism. India's actions thus far have been to build a kind of international consensus that the attacks were sourced in Pakistan. It has led to a huge spurt in international pressure on Pakistan to "do more" to combat terrorism. Almost every member of the international community also believes that the next attack in India would see the gloves come off.

Source:http://www.geo.tv/

4 Islamic rebels killed in Indian Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India: Troops raided Kashmiri hide-outs of a group accused in last month's deadly Mumbai attacks, killing at least four rebels, police said Friday.
The four allegedly belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group India accuses of masterminding the attacks that killed 164 people, said Hemant Lohia, a senior police officer.
One, Iqbal Malik, was a rebel commander allegedly involved in raising money, recruiting fighters and planning attacks against the Indian army, he said. The police claim could not independently confirmed.
Soldiers cordoned off Tantana, 180 miles (290 kilometers) southeast of Srinagar in Indian Kashmir, early Friday after receiving a tip about suspected rebels. The ensuing gunbattle left three rebels and one soldier dead, Lohia said.
Separately, one suspected insurgent was killed Thursday after government forces converged on his hide-out in nearby Chiralla village, Lohia said.

In Srinagar, shops, businesses and government offices were closed in response to a strike called by separatist groups. Thousands of soldiers in riot gear patrolled the deserted streets of the summer capital of India's Jammu-Kashmir state.
Authorities were preventing people from leaving their homes to join protests, said shopkeeper Ghulam Mohammed, and a ban against public gatherings of more than five people was in force.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in its entirety. The longtime rivals have fought three wars, two of them over control of Kashmir, since winning independence from Britain in 1947.
Nearly a dozen separatist groups have been fighting since 1989 to end Indian rule in the Himalayan region. The uprising and a subsequent Indian crackdown have killed more than 68,000 people, mostly civilians.
Tensions have flared since the attacks late last month in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, with New Delhi calling on Islamabad to take strong action against Lashkar-e-Taiba.


Source By:http://www.iht.com/

India denies Pak airspace violation

NEW DELHI: Indian Foreign Ministry quite unabashedly denied that its fighter jets violated Pakistani airspace.This has been the inveterate habit of Indian officials to do and later on deny doing, instead of extending an apology.It should be mentioned that Pakistan today (Thursday) summoned a senior Indian diplomat in Islamabad to protest against recent alleged airspace violations by Indian warplanes.The violations, denied by India, occurred at a time when relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals have been severely strained by last month's attacks on Mumbai by militants India says came from Pakistan.The irony is that the sort of Indian jets violations into Pakistani airspace occurred in Kashmir and Lahore, where, according to Indian claims, there were offices of banned groups.Pakistani fighter jets soon frogmarched these intruding jets out of territory. But, Pakistani leaders, in a bid to ease the situation, played down the incident by describing the violations as "technical" and "inadvertent."India's deputy high commissioner, Manpreet Vohra, was given a written protest against the intrusions, saying they contravened a 1991 agreement aimed at preventing such incidents, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.Indian air force spokesman insisted on Thursday that no Pakistani airspace violation had taken place."We stand by what we said earlier, that we have not violated their airspace. This is not true," said the spokesman, Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani.

News Source:http://thearynews.com/

Manmohan terms Pakistan epicenter of terrorism

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleged on Thursday that Pakistan was the "epicenter" of global terrorism and the world needed to deal with it "sternly and effectively"."We have to galvanize the international community into dealing sternly and effectively with the epicenter of terrorism which is located in Pakistan," he said in a speech heard in silence in the Lok Sabha and on live television across the country."The infrastructure of terrorism has to be dismantled permanently. This is for the good of the entire world community including the well being of the people of Pakistan themselves," he said at the end of a day-long debate on the Mumbai terror attacks in parliament."We have noted the reported steps taken by Pakistan but clearly much more needs to be done," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament.Manmohan also apologized to the country for the government's inability to prevent the Mumbai attacks and vowed to gear up the security apparatus to prevent recurrence of such incidents.Ironically, Leader of Opposition L K Advani had also described Pakistan as the "epicenter of terrorism" in his speech earlier in the day.

News Source:http://www.thearynews.com/

Government has proof of ISI hand in Mumbai attacks

According to sources, Indian government has proof of the involvement of Pakistan's ISI in the terror attacks in Mumbai. Sources in Delhi said that the names of trainers and places where scrupulous training took place of the terrorists that killed 183 people during a 60-hour siege Mumbai are known to the government.
U. S. has a lot more evidence, some of which it has shared with India.
US Joint Chief of Staff chairman Mike Mullen, who was in New Delhi on Thursday, has ostensibly told his Pakistani counterparts a day earlier that Washington had enough evidence to show a Pakistani hand in the Mumbai attack. They also said it was unlikely that the Pakistani army did not have information about the Mumbai operation since it controls the ISI.
Yet, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari maintained that Islamabad would "take strong action against any Pakistani elements found involved in the attack" and "Pakistan is determined to ensure that its territory is not used for any act of terrorism."
In his meeting with US secretary of state Condoleeza Rice in Islamabad on Thursday, Zardari told Rice he had asked India to see this as a chance to work together rather than be at loggerheads, saying: "I intend to do everything in my power."

News Source:http://www.topnews.in/

Russia, India sign nuclear deal

NEW DELHI: The visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed nuclear pact here, television reports said. The two countries would cooperate with each other in nuclear field. Russia will help to build four new nuclear reactors to produce energy in southern India but defence and space deals were also to be finalised.Medvedev is the first head of state to visit India following the Mumbai attacks a week ago and has already pledged Moscow's support to India in the anti-terror fight.

News Source:http://www.thearynews.com

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister resigns

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who was in the cross hairs in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, resigned today (Monday).“I have submitted my resignation letter to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. I have gone by my conscience and decided to take this step,” Patil told state-run news agency.“I pondered over the issue the whole night yesterday. Finally, I have decided to quit as per my conscience,” Patil said.Patil’s resignation follows the exit of the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who put in his papers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, after the Congress Working Committee spoke disapprovingly of him in light of the Mumbai carnage and other terror strikes in the country.The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, who was also in charge of the state Home Ministry, was under severe criticism following the terror attacks with opposition Shiv Sena and BJP demanding his resignation alleging that he failed to handle the situation.Patil belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and hails from Sangli district in western Maharashtra. Pawar has asked the CM Maharashtra Deshmukh to accept Patil's resignation

News Source:http://www.thearynews.com/

At least 21 non-Indians dead in Mumbai

MUMBAI: At least 21 non-Indians have been killed in the attacks in the western Indian city of Mumbai, which have left more than 155 people dead and 370 injured, according to officials.A breakdown of known fatalities by country:IsraelFive Israelis who were taken hostage in a Jewish cultural centre have been killed, a diplomat at the Israeli embassy in India said. None of the victims was formally identified, but the Chabad-Lubavitch community which runs the centre said Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was born in Israel and his wife, Rivka, had perished as Indian commandos moved in to end the siege.United StatesThe State Department Friday said five US citizens had been killed in the attacks on Mumbai. Officials did not name the dead, but the Synchronicity Foundation, a Virginia-based meditation community said two of its members, father and daughter Alan and Naomi Scherr, had died.It was not immediately clear if New York-based Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife were counted among the five.FranceTwo French nationals have been killed, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a statement, without naming them. The president of the fashion lingerie company Princess Tam Tam said the two were its founder, Loumia Hiridjee, and her husband Mourad Amarsy.AustraliaTwo Australians are known to have died in the attacks -- Doug Markell, aged 71, and Brett Taylor, 49.GermanyA spokesman for the German foreign ministry said one national had been killed. He was not named, but a Munich-based media firm, CAMP TV, said the dead man was its co-owner, Ralph Burkei. An Indian security official has said three Germans died in the attacks.SingaporeLo Hoei Yen, 28, was killed after she was taken hostage in the Oberoi/Trident hotel, a diplomat said.BritainBritish-Cypriot businessman Andreas Liveras, a 73-year-old yachting tycoon, has been confirmed dead by the Foreign Office.JapanIn Tokyo, Mitsui Marubeni Liquefied Gas announced that one of its Japanese employees, Hisashi Tsuda, aged 38, had been killed.ItalyAn Italian, Antonio de Lorenzo, died in the assault, the Italian foreign ministry said.CanadaOne Canadian died in the attacks, Canadian foreign minister Lawrence Cannon said. The victim's name has not yet been released.ThailandA woman Thai worker died in the attacks on the Oberoi/Trident hotel, Thailand's foreign ministry said Saturday, adding that she had worked in the hotel's spa. A spokesman said five Thais were rescued.

News Source:http://www.thearynews.com/

Mumbai mayhem ends; toll over 200

MUMBAI: Indian security officials said Saturday that the operation at Taj hotel has nearly come to an end and all the terrorists have been killed in the operation.

Talking to local media here, Indian National Security Guard (NSG) chief said the security personnel are busy with checking and clearing all the rooms at Taj hotel.

Director General of NSG JK Dutt said at least three terrorists have been killed at Taj hotel.

One of the terrorist, who was stood near the window, was killed when a security personnel shot at him while he attempted to lob a grenade.

"We found the dead bodies of two terrorists inside the hotel lobby. They had AK 47 guns on them," Dutt said.

However, he added that he can not confirm if the Taj has been cleared of all terrorists as the sanitisation process was still on.

"I can't say that our operation is over. To make sure that there is no other threat, we are still searching each and every room of the hotel," Dutt said.

Earlier in the wee hours of Saturday fresh explosions were heard at the heritage hotel.

There was heavy firing and explosions in Wasabi restaurant in the Taj late on Friday night. Two to three terrorists are left and are intermittently firing at NSG.

The level of battle now seems to indicate a last assault at the Taj. There is still confusion over the total number of militants inside the hotel, but there seem to be no hostages or guests inside with them.

The Army said that the NSG was in contact with one terrorist in the old wing of Taj and that the operation in Taj was also in final stages.

There was also report of one injured militant inside the Taj hotel.

According to NSG Director General: "One injured terrorist is still inside Taj hotel. The stage seems to be set for a final operation there and the media has been asked to refrain from doing any live broadcasts from outside the hotel."

Nariman House encounter ends

The commando operation against the terrorists at Nariman House ended on Friday.

NSG set off huge explosions to ensure no terrorist escaped and combed the building to ensure no more terrorists were left inside.

However, five hostages and two terrorists were found dead inside the building. A Jewish rabbi and his wife were among the dead at Nariman House.

NSG commandos came out of the Nariman House amid cheering crowds. Thousands of people had gathered outside the building. The Rapid Action Force even used lathis to control the crowd.

Earlier, seven hostages were taken out from the building.

After a 39-hour ordeal, the NSG finally got success in flushing out the terrorists from the Oberoi Trident Hotel on Friday.

Describing the mission, NSG chief J K Dutt said, "Both Trident, Oberoi are under our control and both the terrorists present in these hotels have been killed."

Two AK-47 rifles, one pistol and few unexploded grenades have been seized, the NSG chief added.

According to the police, nine terrorists were killed and one was caught alive. The police said 24 dead bodies were found at Oberoi hotel on Friday, taking the total toll to 30.

At Trident, NSG commandos evacuated the people and they surrounded the Oberoi wing for the final push.

On early Friday morning, three explosions in three hours happened inside the Nariman House in Colaba, breaking the eerie silence.

The building was still in darkness when the Army closed in. Snipers took position at Nariman House. About 100 commandos went inside and helicopters circled above the building to monitor the situation.

At least 200 have been killed in the Mumbai encounter, including 14 policemen and 13 foreigners and 327 people have been injured and the sources feared that death toll may rise even higher. (Last updated at 1035)

News Source:http://www.thearynews.com

Fresh expolosion rocked mumbai in curfew

MUMBAI: More than 100 people have been killed, including nine foreigners and at least 287 injured in a series of well-coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Terrorists, who apparently came in by boats, struck at 10 places in south Mumbai including five-star hotels, hospitals and train stations.

There is hostage situation in at least two locations — the Taj and the Trident hotels. 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.

NSG and Military Commandos entered the Taj and Trident hotels. Five terrorists have been killed. Several staff members at the hotels have also been killed, including two at Trident. Gunshots continue to be heard.

NSG Commandos have launched operations in the Nariman House building in Colaba. This was the second place that was attacked in Mumbai. Two men came on a scooter and hurled a grenade at nearby petrol pump.

Though the grenade missed the petrol reservoir, it destroyed a facade of the station. The terrorists then ran into Nariman House building behind petrol pump into a Jewish residential building. Here, the terrorists murdered two people and then went silent for several hours till early this morning. This is another place apart from the Taj and the Trident, which are under siege.

According to latest reports, policemen have succeeded in flushing out terrorists from the Cama hospital and everything seems to be calm now. Curfew has been imposed at Colaba and Gateway of India. At least 800 Army personnel have been deployed at various locations in Mumbai.

At least 14 policemen have been killed across the city, including the head of the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad Hemant Karkare, who was shot three times in the chest.

Well-known encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar is also dead. Additional Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date is critical. Every top line anti-terror force in the country has been pushed into Mumbai including commandos of the National Security Guard, Marine Commandos and Army commandos.

There are also reports of low intensity blast in Ville Parle and grenade attack in Santa Cruz. Two blasts have been reported in Napean Sea road area of south 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,” A N Roy, Deputy Police Commissioner.

Many foreigners have been held hostage by the terrorists. “Gunmen took 15 hostages and half of them foreigners,” said an eye-witness at Taj hotel.

“Gunmen wanted anyone with British or American passport,” said another eye-witness.

Five terrorists are killed, two escaped and nine have been arrested. An unknown organisation called the Deccan Mujahideen has taken the responsibility for the terror attacks.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be addressing the nation later in the day and he has called an emergency Cabinet meeting. Home Minister Shivraj Patil is back in Delhi from Mumbai for the meet.

Cabinet Committee on Security will meet before the full Cabinet meet. The Prime Minister’s election rally in Delhi scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled.

Maharashtra Cabinet is scheduled to meet at 2 pm and there is also an all-party meet at 3 pm. State government has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for those killed and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the attacks.

Speaking to media, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said, “There is no plan for talks with the terrorists. Claiming to have some “vital leads”, the minister expressed confidence of a breakthrough soon.

Intelligence sources say that foreign hand is fully evident in these attacks. They have arrested a Pakistan national from Chowpatty area in the city.

Speaking to local media, Maharashtra Director General of Police 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. He said, “There is hostage situation at Trident and the police were trying to capture the ultras alive.”

“Fifty per cent operation is complete at Taj. There is no hostage-like situation at Taj anymore,” he further said.

Police have seized a rubber boat, which anchored off Mumbai harbour. It all started with incidents of firing in Colaba and near CST station.

Meanwhile, train services have resumed at the CST station. Lufthansa, Northwest and Air France have cancelled their flights.

On their part, hotels in Mumbai have been asked not to take new guests.

News Source:www.nhatky.in

MANHUNT LAUNCHED TO NAB TERRORISTS IN MUMBAI ATTACK

Mumbai: Maharashtra Police and Indian Army personnel launched a massive manhunt early on Thursday morning to nab some of the terrorists, who have fled, responsible for the deadly terror attack on Mumbai. The terrorists are reportedly associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), a militant group based in Pakistan.

Police officials have also released the registration number of the cars in which the terrorists fled. The numbers are MH012 A1202 and MH01 BA 5179. Anybody having information of these cars can report sighting at 022-2937755, 24937747.

A suspected terrorist is being interrogated, who was held this morning. He is said to be associated with LeT.

Meanwhile, the death toll is climbing steadily. The latest figure is close to 100 among who are nine foreigners. The attack has also left over 300 people injured.

The terrorists were reported to be holding tourists and other guests as hostage at the Taj Intercontinental and at the Trident, two five-star hotels located on the city’s waterfront across the Arabian Sea and close to the Gateway of India.

A team of the National Security Guards (NSG) is already inside the Taj Intercontinental where the holed-up terrorists had hurled grenades and resorted to indiscriminate fire.

All roads linking south Mumbai with the rest of the metropolis have been barricaded. The Elite Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been pressed into action and the targeted locations have been cordoned off.

A nationwide alert has been sounded and all airports in the country have been put on high-security surveillance following the attacks.

Recalling the incident, the authorities said that apparently small groups of heavily armed terrorists sneaked into busy public places, mostly in south Mumbai, in the dead of the night with the intention of spreading panic in the crowded metropolis. They said that most of the places targeted were in upscale south Mumbai, a favourite destination of foreign tourists.

Suspected terrorists also opened indiscriminate firing near the railway station, the headquarters of the Central Railway, which remains crowded almost throughout the day. As a precautionary measure, authorities suspended suburban and other railway services.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh described the serial blasts and the ongoing encounter with terrorists at the two hotels in the city as the “most audacious attack”.

“It is a very serious situation and gun battles are still on in at least three places,” said Deshmukh, adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called him and expressed concern over the incident.

He strongly condemned the terror strikes and asked people not to believe rumors.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Ghafoor said the attacks were suspected to be “co-ordinated terrorist acts”, and added that automatic weapons like AK-47 and AK-56 and semi-automatic rifles as well as grenades were used.

Two bomb blasts, one in Vile Parle, a residential suburb in north Mumbai, and another in Mazgaon, also injured an unspecified number of people, the police officials said.

Later, firing also took place near the Metro Cinema. Eyewitnesses said the attackers hijacked a police vehicle after opening fire at two policemen in the vehicle.

News Source:apakistannews.com

Fresh Expolosion Rocked Mumbai In Curfew

MUMBAI: More than 100 people have been killed, including nine foreigners and at least 287 injured in a series of well-coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Terrorists, who apparently came in by boats, struck at 10 places in south Mumbai including five-star hotels, hospitals and train stations.

There is hostage situation in at least two locations — the Taj and the Trident hotels. 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.

NSG and Military Commandos entered the Taj and Trident hotels. Five terrorists have been killed. Several staff members at the hotels have also been killed, including two at Trident. Gunshots continue to be heard.

NSG Commandos have launched operations in the Nariman House building in Colaba. This was the second place that was attacked in Mumbai. Two men came on a scooter and hurled a grenade at nearby petrol pump.

Though the grenade missed the petrol reservoir, it destroyed a facade of the station. The terrorists then ran into Nariman House building behind petrol pump into a Jewish residential building. Here, the terrorists murdered two people and then went silent for several hours till early this morning. This is another place apart from the Taj and the Trident, which are under siege.

According to latest reports, policemen have succeeded in flushing out terrorists from the Cama hospital and everything seems to be calm now. Curfew has been imposed at Colaba and Gateway of India. At least 800 Army personnel have been deployed at various locations in Mumbai.

At least 14 policemen have been killed across the city, including the head of the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad Hemant Karkare, who was shot three times in the chest.

Well-known encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar is also dead. Additional Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date is critical. Every top line anti-terror force in the country has been pushed into Mumbai including commandos of the National Security Guard, Marine Commandos and Army commandos.

There are also reports of low intensity blast in Ville Parle and grenade attack in Santa Cruz. Two blasts have been reported in Napean Sea road area of south 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,” A N Roy, Deputy Police Commissioner.

Many foreigners have been held hostage by the terrorists. “Gunmen took 15 hostages and half of them foreigners,” said an eye-witness at Taj hotel.

“Gunmen wanted anyone with British or American passport,” said another eye-witness.

Five terrorists are killed, two escaped and nine have been arrested. An unknown organisation called the Deccan Mujahideen has taken the responsibility for the terror attacks.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be addressing the nation later in the day and he has called an emergency Cabinet meeting. Home Minister Shivraj Patil is back in Delhi from Mumbai for the meet.

Cabinet Committee on Security will meet before the full Cabinet meet. The Prime Minister’s election rally in Delhi scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled.

Maharashtra Cabinet is scheduled to meet at 2 pm and there is also an all-party meet at 3 pm. State government has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for those killed and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the attacks.

Speaking to media, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said, “There is no plan for talks with the terrorists. Claiming to have some “vital leads”, the minister expressed confidence of a breakthrough soon.

Intelligence sources say that foreign hand is fully evident in these attacks. They have arrested a Pakistan national from Chowpatty area in the city.

Speaking to local media, Maharashtra Director General of Police 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. He said, “There is hostage situation at Trident and the police were trying to capture the ultras alive.”

“Fifty per cent operation is complete at Taj. There is no hostage-like situation at Taj anymore,” he further said.

Police have seized a rubber boat, which anchored off Mumbai harbour. It all started with incidents of firing in Colaba and near CST station.

Meanwhile, train services have resumed at the CST station. Lufthansa, Northwest and Air France have cancelled their flights.

On their part, hotels in Mumbai have been asked not to take new guests.

News Source:www.apakistannews.com