Mumbai terror attack: The heartwrenching terrorist attacks in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, on November 26, 2008, still remains fresh in the nation’s conscience as the date returns for the 15th time on Sunday (November 26) since the deadly assault on the country’s soul 15 years ago by 10 Pakistani terrorists. The date, commonly referred to as 26/11, reminds every year of the mayhem unleashed by the terrorists on the streets of Mumbai and sent shockwaves through the country and the world. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had entered Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008, killing 166 people, including foreign nationals and injuring several others during the course of four days.
Recalling what India went through
Pakistani terrorists chose their targets very meticulously to cause maximum damage - the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre at Nariman House, and the Leopold Cafe - as these places were frequented by Europeans, Indians and Jews. Armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades, the terrorists targeted civilians at numerous sites in the southern part of Mumbai, including the popular Leopold Cafe, two hospitals, and a theatre.
Three Railway officials were also killed in the attack at Mumbai CST where Ajmal Kasab and Ismail Khan had opened indiscriminate firing.
Nine out of the 10 LeT terrorists were eliminated while Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab was held alive at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station by Mumbai Police. Tukaram Omble caught Kasab alive before being shot dead by the terrorist. He was awarded Ashok Chakra posthumously for his act of bravery.
Many security personnel, including two NSG commandos laid down their lives in the Mumbai attack, including Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan.
One of the lesser known facts is that the then National Security Guard (NSG) chief Jyoti Krishan Dutt, who headed the elite commando force during the operation, continued his duty even after knowing that one of his relatives was killed by the terrorists in the attack.
Kasab, who confessed during interrogation that he was a Pakistani citizen and was a member of LeT was given the death penalty, and hanged two years later in a maximum security prison in Pune city.
Scars of 26/11
The scar marks left by the Mumbai terror attacks continue to hover around the memories who underwent the horrific days and nights in and around the hotel and Mumbai as a city, and India as a country.
Marking the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks, Israel has officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation. The action has been taken without any request by the government of India.
The Israeli Embassy said in a statement that all necessary procedures have been completed to declare LeT as a terrorist organisation.
Highlighting that Israel only lists terror organisations that are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India--those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department--"Israel ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism."
Israel's Ambassador to India
Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon hailed the decision and termed the ban on LeT the “right thing”.
Exhibition in front of UN
A day-long poster exhibition was organised at the Broken Chair in front of the United Nations, Geneva on Friday to mark the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
“Today, we are protesting in front of the United Nations, Geneva. We have displayed a lot of balance here to commemorate the costly and terrible barbaric terror attacks which rocked Mumbai, the Indian financial epicentre, 15 years ago,” a human rights activist who organised the exhibition, Priyajit Debsarkar said.
On 26/11, the nation remembers those who lost their lives and those who laid down their lives to free Mumbai from terrorists who laid siege on the city.
President Murmu, Defence Minister pay tribute on the occasion
President Droupadi Murmu paid homage to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
"A grateful nation remembers with pain all the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. We stand with their families and loved ones in honouring the memory of the brave souls. I pay homage to the valiant security personnel who laid down their lives for the motherland. Recalling their supreme sacrifice, let us renew our pledge to battle terrorism in all forms everywhere," the President posted on X.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday paid tributes to the victims of the terror attacks and said that the nation will always remember the sacrifices of the security personnel.
"Rajnath Singh: My heartfelt tributes to the victims of the 26/11 #MumbaiTerrorAttacks. The nation will always remember the sacrifice of those security personnel who gave their lives in the line of duty," he posted on X.
The Defence Minister paid tributes to Major Unnikrishnan for the supreme sacrifice during Operation Black Tornado carried out by the NSG.
Tributes paid to victims of attack in Mumbai
Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid floral tributes to the security personnel who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists. They paid tributes at the martyrs' memorial in the premises of the Police Commissioner Office in south Mumbai. Family members of the police personnel, who lost their lives during the Mumbai terror attacks, also paid tributes to the fallen ones.
(With ANI inputs)
