26/11 attacks: How Mumbai was liberated

SPIRIT OF INDIA: Students paint a wall to pay tribute to 26/11 martyrs and victims in Mumbai.

          

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November 27, 2008 | 0730 hrs IST, Taj Hotel

A year ago Mumbai was under attack and its most prominent landmark - the Taj Hotel - was taken over by terrorists.

Fire and explosions continued through the night of November 26 at the Taj Hotel. By the morning of November 27, the fire at the dome was contained. But the Pakistani handlers kept pushing terrorists Abu Sohaib, Abu Umer, Hafiz and Arshad to do more damage.

Transcript of the conversation between the handlers and the terrorists went like this: "Make sure you save enough ammunition for later use. The General is happy and asks you to do whatever you think appropriate. Do not be afraid…think about your last moments…it’ll be wonderful! Think of the beautiful end and pray to Allah for mercy."

Outside, it was a war zone. Security forces provided the outer cordon for the NSG commandos with hundreds of media teams glued to the action.

Major General AK Gupta (Retd) of the NSG said, "In our operations we had to keep in mind that in such big buildings we aren’t sure what’s behind each closed door, and there is no way that you tactically time frame. That was one of our biggest challenges."

November 27, 2008 | 0730 hrs IST, Trident

At The Trident, a banner hanging from a window had a gut-wrenching plea for help. Inside, hundreds of guests were holed up in their rooms.

Trident employee Dinaz Sharma recounted the horrifying moments, "They were shooting at point blank at everyone. So I knew something was wrong. I had to close the door first thing to safeguard my guests. While I was closing the door a shot was passed and the bullet passed my hand."

Meanwhile, several guests in the Trident were taken hostage by terrorists Fahadullah and Abdul Rehman and forced up to the higher floors.

Former chief secretary officer of the Trident Cdr S Nagmote recalled, "There were grenade blasts after every 10-15-20-30 minute. They had come with God knows how many grenades, there bags were full of it. We have camera in the Oberoi lobby and every time there used to be a grenade blast that camera used to go blurred."

At 0900 hrs IST the NSG began a day-long rescue operation.

"I called the guests and told them that I’m present in the hotel. The hotel has the protection of the NSG. Keep the doors closed and do not open it till I give you the details," Nagmote said.

November 27, 2008 | 0830 hrs IST, Nariman House

The Jewish Centre siege at Nariman House was still on.

Terrorists Babar and Nasir had tried negotiating with the Israeli Embassy but it had yielded nothing. Their Pakistani handlers tried to keep their morale high.

"Do a good job. Bet the support for your partner. Keep your morale high and say your prayers," the handlers told the terrorists.

The NSG had by then reached congested by-lanes around Nariman House.

At 1045 hrs IST a lull in the firing was broken by a child crying. It was Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka’s two-year-old son Moshe, clinging onto his nanny Sandra Samuel who had escaped the Chabad House.

"Frankly speaking I don’t know what I was thinking. I just picked-up the baby and ran. When I picked him up, he was quiet. That is why I could bring him out," Sandra said remembering the tarrying moments.