Seventh anniversary of cowardly act of 26/11

Floral tributes were paid to the martyrs on the seventh anniversary of the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks on Thursday.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with his Cabinet colleagues paid homage to the martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Mumbai has been put on alert and security has been beefed up at key installations in the city.

On this day in 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists had arrived by sea route and opened fire indiscriminately at people killing 166, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others, besides damaging property worth crores of rupees.

Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist, who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012.

November 26, 2008 - a day which not only shook the conscience of the nation but had its rippling effect on the whole world.

Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists chose to target the lifeline of the city. Cama Hospital was the first target where Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare and two other policemen laid down their lives fighting with the terrorists.

The terrorists then moved on to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station where the passengers were caught all unaware when the attackers opened fire.

They had then attacked the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel located in the heart of Mumbai. They held several guests and visitors as hostages inside. Both Trident Hotel and Nariman House also bore the brunt of the cowardly terror attacks.

For a stretch of 59 hours, those ten terrorists had brought to a standstill the whole city as well as the country.

Several loopholes in the security parameters of the nation came to the fore and were questioned.

In the recent development in the case, a special TADA has made Pakistan-born American terror operative David Coleman Headley, an accused, and asked him to appear before the court through video links on December 10.

Headley, accused of conducting a special reconnaissance of targets before the Mumbai terror attack, was sentenced to 35 years' imprisonment by a US court. He had entered into a plea bargaining agreement with the US Government.