FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISTS ALMOST COMING TO END

Mumbai: The NSG’s fight against terrorists is “almost coming to an end” and the commandos were locked in battle with the last batch of the ultras. Mumbai Police Commissioner Hassan Gafoor said on Friday.

Gafoor said that all hostages inside the Taj hotel have been evacuated but refused to comment on whether the terrorists inside the hotel have been killed.

Regarding terrorists holed up in the Oberoi hotel and Nariman House, Gafoor said NSG commandos are leading the operation and the situation will be brought under control soon.

Gafoor said least 12 terrorists had come to Mumbai from Gujarat.

One NSG commando seriously injured in Taj Hotel, says Mumbai Police Commissioner Hassan Gafoor.

At Oberoi, no gun shots or explosions were heard since late last night as the security forces launched room-to-room searches.

One NSG commando was seriously injured in Taj’s eighth floor during the operations, Commissioner of Police Hassan Gafoor told a news agency.

“The operations at Taj and Oberoi are in the final stages,” he said.

Three terrorists, including a Pakistani national, were arrested by the security forces from the Taj hotel last night. The Pakistani national was identified as Ajmal Amir Kamal, a resident of Faridkot in Multan, officials said.

The suspected militants belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba, they said.

Gafoor said that all hostages inside the Taj hotel have been evacuated and search operations were continuing to flush out the remaining terrorists.

Dutt said two terrorists were holed up in the 8th floor of the Oberoi hotel while in the Trident section the combing operation has been completed.

“As far as Trident is concerned, we have been able to completely clean up and we do not have any report of any terrorist being holed up over there.

“As far as Oberoi is concerned, yes, we have engaged two terrorists on the 8th floor,” he said.

Late in the night, there was a major fire in Trident where about 200 people have been trapped and terrorists exploded grenades that set the roof ablaze amid exchange of gunfire.

There were reports that about 30 to 35 hotel guests were safely evacuated.

Among the dead were six foreigners, 14 police personnel, a home guard jawan and 104 members of the public including several staff of the two hotels. Of the 327 injured, police personnel accounted for 26 and foreigners seven.

News via