The terrorist target was to emulate a 11-S with 5,000 dead in Bombay

The elite forces managed to stop, after almost 60 hours of fighting, the terrorist offensive, which left nearly 200 dead in Mumbai and that, according to official sources, was aimed at provoking a 11-S in the financial heart of India with more than 5,000 victims.

At a news conference, Interior Minister of the state of Maharastra (whose capital is Bombay), R. R. Patil said that the Islamist command intended to cause a slaughter. "We found much weaponry in its possession which it is clear that they had plans to kill 5,000 people," he said. "There were ten terrorists in total. Nine were killed and one was captured alive. They have received instructions from outside via mobile phones via satellite, "said Patil, who made no reference to those who could escape.

"You know from which country," ironically, although Pakistan has vigorously denied the involvement of any of their estates in the attacks.

The military prevented the terrorists from reaching complete their mission, which was flying with explosives the luxurious and historic Taj Mahal Hotel and eliminate the symbols of western capitalism, as has confessed the only one of the attackers captured alive, Amir Azam Kasav, which reflects the daily Times Of India. The Islamists were inspired by the attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, which left half hundred dead last September.

Drawings

To carry out his plan, eight of the Islamists were infiltrated in Bombay a month ago posing as students in Malaysia, according to sources from military intelligence. At that time compiled detailed drawings of the Taj Mahal, during the shooting terrorists pulled by a hidden door that Indian troops did not know, according to the Hindustan Times. Some local channels ensures that even terrorists were already staying at the hotel.

In this first group, composed of young people between 20 and 30 years, joined the night of the attack, on Wednesday, a second group that arrived by sea.

The latest shootings and explosions took place yesterday at the luxury hotel where the Indian commandos killed three Islamists entrenched, recorded more than 300 rooms of the compound all day and detonated arms and grenades. "We said that there were three terrorists ... and we have three dead, "announced the head of the National Security Guard of India, J. K. Dutt, who also noted that the fighting lasted nearly five hours and there was low among his men. An official source said the Indian forces found two powerful bombs inside the hotel.

The Indian commandos rescued 610 people from the Oberoi and Taj hotels, and the Jewish center Nariman House. Although both hotels have serious damage, especially the east wing and the dome of the Taj, whose reconstruction will cost about $ 100 million, the scenario is more devastated the Jewish center.

Number of deaths

The Indian government reported that among those killed in the coordinated series of terrorist attacks there are 22 foreigners and 20 members of the security forces, including two elite commandos. However, the municipal authorities in Mumbai rose to 195 the number of fatalities, including 23 foreigners, but warned that this is tentative.

The dead included eight Israelis, five Americans, two French, two Australians, one British, one Japanese, one German, two Canadians, one Italian, one Thai, a citizen of Singapore and Mauritius.