16 years since 26/11: Brief timeline of horrific 2008 Mumbai terror attacks

Remembering 26/11 Mumbai attacks: It has been 16 years since 10 heavily armed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists targeted prominent locations in the city, leaving 166 people dead and over 300 injured

It’s the 16th anniversary of the horrific 26/11 attacks today. It was on November 26, 2008 that 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists carried out a series of well-planned terror attacks at many high profile locations of Mumbai, which included the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Mumbai Chabad House, Nariman House, Cama Hospital, and Metro Cinema. 

 

The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks claimed the lives of at least 166 people, including 20 members of the security forces and 26 foreigners, and injured over 300 more. The attacks were carried out by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who traveled from Pakistan to Mumbai via the sea route.

 

 

Leaders and people from all walks of life, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of India, are honoring the 166 victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. 

16 Years of 26/11 Mumbai attack: Timeline 

The terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is located in Pakistan, targeted people in Mumbai by using hand grenades and automatic guns against civilians in a number of places, including a theater, two hospitals, Leopold Café, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station. The violence persisted at three locations where hostages were taken such as a Jewish outreach center, Nariman House, and the luxury hotels Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

 

Two gunmen and six hostages were killed when the Nariman House siege came to an end on November 28. The next day marked the end of the sieges at Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident. Of the ten terrorists, nine were killed and one was taken into custody. 

 

The terrorists who carried out the Mumbai attacks first boarded a cargo ship flying the flag of Pakistan before taking control of an Indian fishing vessel and murdering its crew. They used inflatable dinghies to get to Sassoon Docks and Badhwar Park, which are close to the Gateway of India, after they reached the shores of Mumbai. 

 

To execute their plans, the terrorists divided into smaller groups to carry out attacks at separate places. One of the attackers, Kasab, was subsequently accused of a number of crimes, including murder and waging war. Kasab had initially confessed to the crimes, however, later withdrew it.

16 years of 26/11 Mumbai attack: Key arrests

A delay to verify his age for trial was one of the several reasons that halted his trial, which started in April 2009. In July, Kasab entered a guilty plea but later changed it. He was convicted in May 2010 and given the death penalty. He was executed two years later.

 

Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari was detained by Delhi police in June 2012 on suspicion of assisting and directing the terrorists during the attack. In addition, Pakistani-American David C. Headley was sentenced to 35 years in jail in January 2013 after entering a guilty plea in 2011 to helping the terrorists organize the attacks.

16 Years of 26/11 Mumbai attack: Heroes during the attack 

    • Tukaram Omble, the Mumbai Police Assistant Sub-Inspector, was killed while he tried to capture terrorist Ajmal Kasab 

 

    • Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan was leading a team of NSG commandos to flush out terrorists from the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai 

 

    • Anti Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, was gunned down when he was leading an operation at the Taj Hotel against terrorists 

 

    • Mallika Jagad, the Taj Palace Hotel's banquet manager while at the 26/11 attacks, acted swiftly to protect guests. 

 

    • Thomas Varghese, a senior waiter at Taj's Wasabi restaurant, asked the guests to crouch down and later sent them to safety.