Gunfire, Blasts At Mumbai Hotel As Militants Fight to Death

This news updete by geo.tv


MUMBAI: Indian commandos were locked in heavy fighting inside a Mumbai hotel Saturday as they battled to end two-day-old assault by Pakistan-linked militants which has left up to 160 dead, including foreigners.

Heavy gunfire and explosions rocked the historic Taj Mahal hotel, where a tiny group of heavily armed gunmen were engaged in a fight to the death some 60 hours after the start of the killing spree across India's financial capital.

Elite troops had already stormed a Mumbai Jewish centre and killed two gunmen -- but also found five dead Israeli hostages, including a US-based rabbi and his wife, who were murdered as the commandos closed in.

The other luxury hotel that was attacked, the Oberoi, was declared clear of militants late Friday, with scores of trapped guests rescued and 24 bodies found.

"They were the kind of people with no remorse -- anybody and whomsoever came in front of them they fired," an Indian commando leader said of the young gunmen who slipped into Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

"We could have got those terrorists but for so many hotel guests," he said.

Indian media reports said up to 160 people were dead and 327 others wounded. TV channels described the attacks as "India's 9/11."

Around 18 foreigners were among those killed, including the Israelis, two Americans, two French nationals, a German, a Japanese, a Canadian, two Australians, a British Cypriot, an Italian and a Singaporean.

One group entered the city by boat, while others were believed to have been inside the city -- stockpiling arms and explosives -- well before the attacks were launched.

A government minister said the overall toll could rise further as more corpses are recovered.

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