Terrorist attack on Mumbai kills up to 80 as gunmen storm hotels, take hostages

A GROUP of Australians are hiding in a restaurant in Mumbai in India after a series of gun and bomb attacks against Westerners killed as many as 80 people.

Reports of the death toll vary, but one news agency says 80 people have died while Indian television stations report the toll to be at least 40.

They have reported hostages have been taken at the Taj and Oberoi hotels. The gunmen are holed up inside and are locked in a gun battle with police.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said two Australians had been injured.

A little-known group called the "Deccan Mujahedeen" has claimed responsibility.

"An encounter is going on at the two hotels, the situation is grave," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister told CNN-IBN TV. "Our men are on the job."

Nine Australians are reported to be hiding in a restaurant to stay amid the "chaos" in the city.

"I look out onto the street and all I can see is ambulances and police," Australian tourist Isaac Zalme said on Channel 9 this morning.

"We will hang out here (at the restaurant) for as long as possible. It’s a waiting game, we will wait and see what happens.

"There were people driving around in a cop car shooting people," he said.

Other Australian tourists were among those who had to flee the attackers when they struck overnight, the Herald-Sun reported.

There was also an attack on the Cafe Leopold, perhaps the most famous restaurant and hang-out for tourists in the city, and at hospitals and railway stations.

"I guess they were after foreigners, because they were asking for British or American passports," said Rakesh Patel, a British witness who was staying at the Taj hotel on business. "They had bombs.

"They came from the restaurant and took us up the stairs," he told the NDTV news channel, smoke stains all over his face. "Young boys, maybe 20 years old, 25 years old."

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All Mumbai terrorists killed





THREE Islamist militants were killed in the final assault on Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel that signalled the end to a two-day assault on India's financial capital, the head of commando operations said.

"We said there were three terrorists .... and we have got three bodies,'' J.K. Dutt, head of India's National Security Guard, told reporters outside the hotel.

"As of right now there is no firing,'' Mr Dutt said, while stressing that the final all-clear had not yet been sounded.

"We are now going through each and every room to make sure it is safe,'' he said, appealing to any guests still hiding in the hotel to make themselves known.

"Small explosions'' might be heard as his men carried out the final floor-by-floor clearing operation, said Mr Dutt.

Extremely heavy gunfire was heard from inside Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel, with a major blaze also breaking out as Indian commandos fought to clear the building of Islamic militants.

Massive flames in the ground floor and first floor of the hotel appeared to be spreading rapidly though the building, the last area in Mumbai where gunmen were still holed up more than 58 hours after coordinated attacks rocked the city.

Firefighters rushed to the historic hotel, a large part of which was obscured by a huge cloud of smoke.

Military sources had earlier said that commandos were fighting up to three heavily armed militants left inside the hotel.

Overnight, elite Indian troops stormed a Jewish centre and another luxury hotel, the Trident-Oberoi.

They killed two gunmen at the Jewish centre after sliding down ropes from helicopters onto its roof, but failed to save the lives of five hostages, including a New York-based rabbi and his wife.

The commandos freed 143 hostages at the Trident-Oberoi, including foreign tourists and businessmen who emerged with harrowing stories of the bloodshed inside. Two gunmen were killed.

As onlookers cheered and chanted "Victory to mother India", many of the troops moved to the Taj, where militants have been fighting for more than 48 hours.

"In view of the firing and the positions they have occupied, I would say there are at least two or three of them," said Jyoti Krishna Dutt, head of the paramilitary National Security Guards. The gunmen may be holding hostages, other officials said.

Police said 24 bodies had been found inside, but that number could rise.

from AFP and Reuters

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