TAJ HOTEL BURNS, 3 TERRORISTS KILLED

HOTEL IN FLAMES: Smoke emerges from behind a dome on the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

      

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Mumbai: Security forces are still engaged in gunfights with terrorists at luxury hotels Taj Intercontinental and Trident after armed gunmen went on a rampage in Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

Six blasts were heard at Taj and one at Trident (formerly Oberoi). Fire was still raging in the old wing of the Taj hotel several hours after it was rocked by five to six blasts and enormous clouds of black smoke rose from the century-old edifice on Mumbai's waterfront.

"The operation (by security forces) is still going on," said state Chief Minister Vilasrao Desmukh. Army and naval commandos and Rapid Action force personnel joined in the operations to rescue those stranded in the two hotels. Five columns of Army and 200 National Security Guard commandoes have been rushed. An Army commando was injured in shoot-out at Taj.

The attack on the 22-storey Taj hotel by the Arabian Sea was one among the 10 daring strikes across various locations in south Mumbai.

Terrorists are reportedly holed up inside in the hotel and several people including foreigners are said to be held hostage. Several tourists were also seen escaping the hotel and several others were reportedly ushered out.

Coordinated attacks sweeping through India's financial capital have left at least 78 dead and scores injured.

Gunmen targeted luxury hotels and tourist landmarks, seizing hostages in violence that left the head of Mumbai's Anti-Terror Squad dead.

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Earlier in the night, terrorists opened fire at police and paramilitary forces outside the Taj Hotel between 2215 hrs IST and 2230 hrs IST, police officials said.

The officials, who refused to speak on record, said the terrorists fired indiscriminately near the five-star hotel where around 2,000 guests and staff were stranded.

The body of a foreign woman guest was recovered from the Hotel and two terrorists were holed up inside the building, a police official said.

At least 90 per cent portion of the building was plunged into darkness as authorities cut off power in a precautionary measure.

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