29.11.08

Arrested terrorist says Lashkar behind attacks in Mumbai

The attack on Mumbai was carried out by a Pakistani fidayeen gang belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba who sneaked in the city harbour with a clear brief to target foreign nationals in order to hurt India’s economic interests. The group, estimated to be 10 in number, set out from Karachi on a mid-sized ship before changing to two inflatable boats on the high seas. It was these plastic boats which docked at Badhwar Park near Cuffe Parade. Ominously, the group, which is suspected to have been received by two locals, spent at least four hours finalising the macabre plan before setting out to snuff out innocent lives to pursue Lashkar’s anti-India campaign. The information on the group was extracted from Akmal, one of its members who was apprehended by Mumbai cops after the shootout at Girgaum Chowpatty. His revelations not only show how the Lashkar operatives went about their mission ruthlessly, it is also a chilling reminder of the Lashkar’s resolve to injure the country grievously. Akmal, an illiterate dailywager from Faridabad, has told the police that he and his fellow jihadis were brainwashed into joining the fidayeen mission with the rather uncomplicated brief to kill as many as possible, while trying to avoid hurting Muslims. Every member, said to be in the age bracket of 18-25 and with sharp Punjabi features and accent, was given an AK-47 rifle with two magazines each, one pistol and 8-10 grenades suspected to have manufactured at a Pakistani ordinance factory. Akmal and one Ismael were first headed for CST to inflict maximum casualties. They shifted, after indiscriminate firing, to Cama Hospital. The grisly drill of random shooting at innocents was again repeated, with one of the shots hitting additional CP Ashok Kamte. Though they did not succeed in taking hostages here either, they inflict a serious loss on Mumbai by killing Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar. Karkare, who had first reached CST, followed the group to the Cama Hospital after being informed of injury to Kamte. Unfortunately for him, the firing at hospital had abated by the time he arrived there. This lulled Karkare into making the fatal mistake of taking off his bulletproof vest, and one of the gunmen who was hiding in dark immediately shot at his chest.The group commandeered a Skoda which was challenged at Girgaum Chowpatty. Ismael was shot and Akmal injured and captured.

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