13th July: Another Black Day in Mumbai

Once again 13th became the black date for Mumbai. Although it was not the Friday, but it was one of the worst day for World's largest democracy. Terrorists hit the business capital of India on 13th Jul'11. The terrorists plotted the blast in three major regions of Mumbai. Bombs were planted in Dadar, Zaveri Bazaar, and Opera House areas. All of these areas are packed with the crowd daily and the day the serial bomb blasts took, they were fully packed.

Looking for clues, Maharashtra's ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) has sent the teams to various locations in India and prepared a sketch of the suspect based on eyewitness accounts. A senior Anti-Terrorism Squad officier said that the sketch of a suspect in Mumbai serial blasts is prepared which is responsible for the death of 19 people and 130 injured.

"Suspect's sketch is ready. It will be circulated among the selected investigating officials but it won't be released to the public," said the Anti-Terrorism Squad official. This incident raise another question on spending 100 crores on the security of Kasab, responsible for Mumbai attack two years ago. Shouldn't he be hanged till death to give the clear message to other terrorists?

India with Limited Options, Presses Pakistan for Terrorism

On Thursday , Even as Indian officials lambasted Pakistan as the “epicenter” of terrorism and dismissed its crackdown on extremist groups as inadequate in the wake of last month’s attacks in Mumbai, they all but ruled out the prospect of a military confrontation.

Rather, Pranab Mukherjee, the Foreign Minister told members of Parliament that it would take time for India to turn off the tap of support for militant groups operating across the border, and that war was “no solution.”

“We shall have to patiently confront it,” he said. “We have no intention to be provoked.” His words signaled India’s delicate and somewhat circumscribed options. If it were to carry out even limited military strikes against Pakistan, it would be likely to lose the support of its allies, namely the United States, which fears that Pakistan would then divert troops from its western border with Afghanistan to its eastern one with India.

Second, India confronts a weak civilian government in Pakistan, which, as Indian officials have long acknowledged privately, has little muscle to counter the powerful military and spy agency. Complete story here

Condoleezza Rice arrives India to ease tension

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (Foreign Minister) has arrived in India on 02 Dec,2008 hoping to ease tensions between India and Pakistan after last week's attacks in Mumbai. She is to hold talks with India's prime minister and foreign minister. She is due in Pakistan on Thursday.

Earlier, unnamed US officials said the US had warned India about a possible threat a month before the attacks. The head of the US intelligence has also implied that Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Toiba was responsible. Islamabad has denied Indian allegations that the attackers, who killed almost 200 people, had Pakistani links.

Last week's attacks at multiple locations in Indian's financial capital, Mumbai, stunned the country with many describing it as India's 9/11. A senior state department official said Ms Rice would pressure the two neighbours to co-operate to fight terrorism. She has urged India and Pakistan to remain in contact and work together to find those behind the attack.

On Tuesday, a US official told the Associated Press that the Indian authorities had been told of an apparent plot to launch an attack on Mumbai from the sea. Mumbai police chief Hassan Gafoor later appeared to confirm the report by saying that there had been a known threat to at least some of the locations targeted, including the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Complete news here

Attack on Mumbai - Commandos storm Jewish center

Gunfire erupted on Friday when commandos began an operation to free Israelis held by suspected Islamist gunmen in Mumbai, while guests were also being evacuated from a luxury hotel in India's financial heart, witnesses said.

Heavily armed Indian commandos, their faces covered by balaclavas, rappelled from helicopters onto the roof of a Jewish center in what television reports said was an assault by the paramilitary National Security Guard to flush out the militants. The Jewish center was one of three pockets in Mumbai where Indian forces were battling die-hard militants more than 24 hours after brazen, coordinated attacks killed at least 121 people.

A Reuters witness said troops fired into the Jewish center, apparently to provide cover, as commandos made at least three sorties and took up positions on the roof. The building is in a crowded part of the city, making a frontal assault difficult.

Not far away, another Reuters witness said hotel guests including foreigners were being evacuated from the besieged Trident-Oberoi Hotel, one of two luxury hotels where police said militants were still holed up with an unknown number of hostages. Read the full coverage here