Terrorist attack in India

[Lusajo]

nimeona CNN sasa hivi kwamba kuna multiple attacks ya ma-terrorist india na wana target Americans
Gunmen strike at series of targets popular with tourists and business people

Seventy-eight reported killed, almost 200 injured

Ongoing gunbattles reported at two hotels

CNN-IBN reports hostages taken at two five-star hotels

 

[Lusajo]

Source: CNN

Gunmen rampaged through a series of targets in the Indian city of Mumbai killing indiscriminately and taking hostages at two luxury hotels.

Mumbai police spokesman Satish Katsa said gunmen have taken over the Taj Mahal Hotel and Hotel Oberoi, and were holding hostages on multiple floors.

Earlier, A.N. Roy, the police chief of Maharashtra state, said there were ongoing battles at the two five-star hotels.

CNN-IBN, CNN's sister station in India, reported at least two explosions at the Taj.

One witness told local reporters gunmen had tried to find people with U.S. or British passports.
IBN, quoting police sources, reported hostages were taken at the both hotels.

Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades hit the hotels, a cafe, a train station and other sites in coordinated attacks, police say.

Maharashtra state government spokesman Bhushan Gagri said 78 people were killed and about 200 wounded, while police confirmed 26 deaths.

Among the dead is the head of the Maharashtra state's anti-terror squad, who apparently died in the violent aftermath of the attacks rather than being a target for the killers.

Sajjad Karim, associated with a group of European lawmakers attending an upcoming EU-India summit, told The Associated Press that he was in the main lobby of the Taj Mahal Hotel when "there was all of a sudden a lot of firing outside."

As he tried to get away, he told the AP: "Another gunmen appeared in front of us, carrying machine gun-type weapons. And he just started firing at us. ... I just turned and ran in the opposite direction."

The attacks included five shootouts and two grenade attacks, said a police officer at Mumbai's police control room.

Video showed scenes of chaos, with people crowding Mumbai's streets, some helping others who appeared to be wounded.

The attacks began about 2230 local time (1700 GMT) and more than two hours later witnesses were reporting new explosions and gunfire.

The targets include businesses frequented by international visitors in the city which is India's financial center.

CNN correspondent Andrew Stevens said: "We do not know if this has reached its peak or if more attacks to come."

A local journalist told CNN he had seen evidence of an attack at the city's domestic airport, which is on the outskirts of the Mumbai.

IBN reported explosions at a gas station and inside a taxi on a dockside road.

Attacks were carried out at the Taj and Oberoi hotels, the popular Café Leopold, and Cama Hospital, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.

Sourav Mishra, a Reuters.com reporter, was with friends at the Cafe Leopold when gunmen opened fire.

"I heard some gunshots ... Something hit me. I ran away and fell on the road. Then somebody picked me up. I have injuries below my shoulder," Mishra said from a hospital bed he was sharing with three other people.

India has suffered a number of attacks in recent years, including a string of bombs that ripped through packed Mumbai commuter trains and platforms during rush hour in July 2006. About 209 people were killed in that attack.

Last July, a series of synchronized bomb blasts in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad left 49 dead and more than 100 wounded, police said.

But Paresh Parihar, a businessman in Mumbai, described Wednesday's attacks as unlike anything he had seen.

"They really don't fear for their lives or any other activity that could put them in danger," he told CNN. "This is really a very unusual situation."

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said: "We are monitoring the situation very closely and stand ready to support the Indian authorities as they deal with this horrific series of attacks."

 

[Mtaalam]

not only de attacks but it is said kuna some hostages still wameshikiliwa.esp wamarekani na waingereza!

 

[Nyaralego]

not only de attacks but it is said kuna some hostages still wameshikiliwa.esp wamarekani na waingereza!

Nimeiona yahoo here's the link. This is horrible!!!
[media]http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_india_shooting[/media]

Gunmen kill at least 78 in attacks across Mumbai
23 mins ago

MUMBAI, India – Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said. An explosion followed by a raging fire struck one of the hotels, the landmark Taj Mahal, early Thursday. Screams could be heard and enormous clouds of black smoke rose from the at the century-old edifice on Mumbai's waterfront. Firefighters were spraying water at the blaze.

The attackers specifically targeted Britons and Americans, witnesses said. Fires burned and gunfire was heard for hours. Officials said at least 200 people were wounded.

The motive for the onslaught was not immediately clear, but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, including a series of bombings in July 2007 that killed 187 people.

An Indian media report said a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the attacks in e-mails to several media outlets.

Police reported hostages being held at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, two of the best-known upscale destinations in this crowded but wealthy city.

Gunmen who burst into the Taj "were targeting foreigners. They kept shouting: `Who has U.S. or U.K. passports?'" said Ashok Patel, a British citizen who fled from the hotel.

Authorities believed seven to 15 foreigners were prisoners at the Taj Mahal, but it was not immediately clear if hostages at the Oberoi were Indians or foreigners, said Anees Ahmed, a top state official.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said U.S. officials were not aware of any American casualties, but were still checking. He said he could not address reports that Westerners might be among the hostages.

"We condemn these attacks and the loss of innocent life," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

Johnny Joseph, chief secretary for Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said 78 people had been killed and 200 had been wounded.

Blood smeared the floor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji rail station, where attackers sprayed bullets into the crowded terminal. Press Trust of India quoted the chief of the Mumbai railway police, A.K. Sharma, as saying several men armed with rifles and grenades were holed up at the station.

Other gunmen attacked Leopold's restaurant, a landmark popular with foreigners, and the police headquarters in southern Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks took place. The restaurant was riddled with bullet holes and there were blood on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers.

A British citizen who was dining at the Oberoi hotel told Sky News television that the gunmen who struck there singled out Britons and Americans.

Alex Chamberlain said a gunman, a young man of 22 or 23, ushered 30 or 40 people from the restaurant into a stairway and ordered everyone to put up their hands. He said the gunman spoke in Hindi or Urdu.

"They were talking about British and Americans specifically. There was an Italian guy, who, you know, they said: 'Where are you from?" and he said he's from Italy and they said 'fine' and they left him alone. And I thought: 'Fine, they're going to shoot me if they ask me anything - and thank God they didn't," he said.

Chamberlain said he managed to slip away as the patrons were forced to walk up stairs, but he thought much of the group was being held hostage.

Early Thursday, several European lawmakers were among people who barricaded themselves inside the Taj, a century-old seaside hotel complex and one of the city's best-known destinations.

"I was in the main lobby and there was all of a sudden a lot of firing outside," said Sajjad Karim, part of a delegation of European lawmakers visiting Mumbai ahead of a European Union-India summit.

As he turned to get away, "all of a sudden another gunmen appeared in front of us, carrying machine gun-type weapons. And he just started firing at us ... I just turned and ran in the opposite direction," he told The Associated Press over his mobile phone.

Hours later, Karim remained holed up in a hotel restaurant, unsure if it was safe to come out.

The British Foreign Office said it was advising all British citizens in Mumbai to stay indoors.

Britain's foreign secretary, David Miliband, strongly condemned the attacks. "Today's attacks in Mumbai which have claimed many innocent victims remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists," Miliband said in a statement.

India has been wracked by bomb attacks the past three years, which police blame on Muslim militants intent on destabilizing this largely Hindu country. Nearly 700 people have died.

Since May a militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen has taken credit for a string of blasts that killed more than 130 people. The most recent was in September, when a series of explosions struck a park and crowded shopping areas in the capital, New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding about 100.

Mumbai has been hit repeatedly by terror attacks since March 1993, when Muslim underworld figures tied to Pakistani militants allegedly carried out a series of bombings on Mumbai's stock exchange, trains, hotels and gas stations. Authorities say those attacks, which killed 257 people and wounded more than 1,100, were carried out to avenge the deaths of hundreds of Muslims in religious riots that had swept India.

Ten years later, in 2003, 52 people were killed in Mumbai bombings blamed on Muslim militants and in July 2007 a series of seven blasts on railway trains and at commuter rail stations killed at least 187.

Relations between Hindus, who make up more than 80 percent of India's 1 billion population, and Muslims, who make up about 14 percent, have sporadically erupted into bouts of sectarian violence since British-ruled India was split into independent India and Pakistan in 1947.

 

[Kweli]

Very sad news, latest from BBC news reports 4 gunmen killed and 9 suspects held, the group called Deccan Mujahedeen claimed responsibility.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Japo niko New Dhelli breakingnews hii nimeipatia hapa JF. Hivi sasa ni saa10 alfajiri. Nawasha tv kujionea. Kama kuna lolote la ziada nitawajulisha.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Japo niko New Dhelli breakingnews hii nimeipatia hapa JF. Hivi sasa ni saa10 alfajiri. Nawasha tv kujionea. Kama kuna lolote la ziada. Tv ya India live from Taj Mahal the situation is under control. Wamewaua watekaji 10, wameokoa wageni zaidi ya 100. Ziada nitawajulisha.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Chief Minister wa Mumbai ametangaza rasmi maeneo 10 yameshambuliwa, taj hoteli bado inawaka moto.

 

[Kweli]

You may find some of this images distressful!! Mungu atatusaidia,sijui dunia inaelekea wapi?

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Miili 76 yafikishwa chumba cha maiti, hakuna nafasi hivyo imepangwa nje kusuubiri kukuche. Kesho hakuna kazi Mumbai. Jeshi limeitwa kusaidia, kizaizai kinaendelea

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Taj Hotel inaendelea kuteketea hakuna gari la zimamoto. Watu wamekwama ndani ya hoteli, mzungu karuka toka ghorofa ya kwanza akiwa kama alivyozaliwa. Jeshi limexhafika, jamaa wa suti ya Adam adhibitiwa na jeshi kwa hisia labda teroristi kavua nguo. Polisi wamefanikiwa kuuwa materoristi wawili tuu.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Terroristi 5 ameuwawa, moto unaendele Taj Hotel. Magari ya zimamoto yafika. Uokoaji waliokwama wafanywa kwa ngazi za zimamoto. Mumbai ni alfajiri. Dheli bado giza. Wanajeshi utadhani vitani!

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

India kama Bongo. Fire dakika 5 maji kwisha, kiwango cha moto kinazidi kuliko uwezo wa zimamoto. Gari lao la zimamoto hoi ya bongo afadhali. Milio ya risasi ndani ya hoteli inasikika. Watu wote wanalala chini. Jeshi limeyanda chini huku juu moto wazidi kushika kasi. Taarifa yasema terrorist wa 6 ameuwawa.

 

[Mag3]

Terroristi 5 ameuwawa, moto unaendele Taj Hotel. Magari ya zimamoto yafika. Uokoaji waliokwama wafanywa kwa ngazi za zimamoto. Mumbai ni alfajiri. Dheli bado giza. Wanajeshi utadhani vitani!

Of all places, Taj Mahal - almost the finest landmark in Mumbai. I was there a couple of years ago - what a beautiful hotel !! To see it going up in smoke is sure sad but what drives such fanaticism - I guess it will not come as a suprise if God's name is not mentioned to justify the attack - filthy barbarians !!

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Saa 12 asubuhi. Kweupe moto unaendelea kuteketeza taj hotel. Hakuna ngazi za ngorofa hivyo zinategemea kurusha maji juu mpaka ghorofa ya 3. Pressure ya maji ndogo hivyo inabakia kushuhudia tuu kama lilivoteketea lile jengo la Nasako. Polisi kando, jeshi ndani ya nyumba. Milio ya risazi za hapa na pale zinaendelea. Inazemekana bado kuna magaidi 2 wamewashikilia mateka ndani ya hoteli.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Watu zaidi ya 100 wameripotiwa kuuwawa miongoni mwao ni mapolisi 15 magaidi 6 . Magaidi 10 yatiwa mbaroni. Baadhi ya miili bado imetapakaa mabarabarani. Makomandoo 200 wamwagwa. Masikini Taj Mahal hotel yazidi kuteketea. Watu bado wamekwama ndani, baadhi washikiliwa mateka. Ndani kuna magaidi wawili. Makomandoo kazini

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Saa moja asubuhi India, saa 10 alfajiri Bongo. Moto umedhibitiwa moshi bado unafuka.Milio ya risasi yapamba moto Taj Hotel. Kamera za local Tv nje ya hoteli. Kamera ya ndani ya hoteli ni ya CNN pekee, kisa jamaa wana full bullet proof gear na bima za maisha. Wapigapicha still umbali mita 100.
Watu zaidi ya 100 wamekwama hotelini jeshi bado liko kaazini. Inasemekana kuna magaidi zaidi ya mmoja wamewashikilia mateka raia wa magharibi. Kumetokea mlipuko mwingine ghorofa ya kwanza, moto mkubwa unawaka. No fire ni milio ya risasi tuu,

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Saa Moja na Nusu Asubuhi India. Kumi na nusu alfajiri Bongo. Imeingia fire ya ngazi. Moto ghorofa ya kwa umedhibitiwa. Hoteli imezungukwa na makondoo, watu waliokama vyumbani wanachungulia madirishani. Korodo hazipitiki. Wanaokolewa na kile kigari kinachotumika kutengeneza taa za barabarani. Ili kujulisha wewe si gaidi unafungua dirisha kimya kimya ili watu wa njee tuu ndio wakuone hata chumba cha pili asisikie sauti.

Asije akawa ndio gaidi. Hicho kigari kinakuja mpaka dirishani ndipo inabidi kupenya dirishani na kushushwa kama tundu la njiwa. Mama mmoja mnene ametaka kupenyeshwa aameishia mabegani. Imebidi arudi ndani kuusubiri liwalo na liwe. Mmewe ameweza kupenya, mama kaanza kulia kwa sauti ya panick, imebidi mume arudi tena chumbani kwa dirishani wasubiri kwa pamoja hatima yao.

Miili mingine miwili inatolewa na gaidi mwingine mmoja mwenye majeraha ya risasi wanatolewa ndani ya taj hotel Taj. Wakazi wa Mumbai wanaanza kujaa na kudhibitiwa na polisi.

Milio ya risasi inayosikika sasa nadhani ni ya jeshi wanapiga hodi kila chumba. Kisipofunguliwa magazini nzima inamiminwa kwenye kitasa na kuingia ndani ya chumba kwa full magazine kama sinema za Rambo enzi zile.

 

[Icadon]

Of all places, Taj Mahal - almost the finest landmark in Mumbai. I was there a couple of years ago - what a beautiful hotel !! To see it going up in smoke is sure sad but what drives such fanaticism - I guess it will not come as a suprise if God's name is not mentioned to justify the attack - filthy barbarians !!

Taj Mahal Hotel na Oberoi. Manuela Testolini alivyoelezea hapa ni kasheshe tupu inaonekana, Feds(US) nao wanadai Terrorists wanaweza kushambulia subway.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Saa 12 asubuhi. Kweupe moto unaendelea kuteketeza taj hotel. Hakuna ngazi za ngorofa hivyo zinategemea kurusha maji juu mpaka ghorofa ya 3. Pressure ya maji ndogo hivyo inabakia kushuhudia tuu kama lilivoteketea lile jengo la Nasako. Polisi kando, jeshi ndani ya nyumba. Milio ya risazi za hapa na pale zinaendelea. Inazemekana bado kuna magaidi 2 wamewashikilia mateka ndani ya hoteli.