Indian PM Calls All-Party Meeting

This news updete by www.thearynews.com




NEW DELHI: More than two days later, the Taj operation has finally reached its end as the NSG commandos take control of the hotel. According to sources, casualty figures at the Taj are very high.

The sixth floor of the hotel is completely gutted in fire and can't be reached. So, the commandos are finding it pretty hard to sanitize the floor.

According to latest reports, at least 200 people have died and 300 are injured during the 60-hour mission carried out by the security forces against the terrorists.

Describing the mission as successful, the NSG sources said that 11 terrorists have been killed in the mission and one has been caught alive.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for an all-party meeting at his residence Sunday to take stock after the terror attack on Mumbai. The US Ambassador has also voiced his concerns to help India by saying that America is duty-bound to cooperate with India.

A senior official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Saturday said the meeting was decided on Manmohan Singh's own initiative and he is expected to apprise the political leaders of the steps his government would take to strengthen security measures.

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee also will be held here this evening in the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The meeting has come in the midst of campaigning for the poll-bound states and at a time when the Opposition was targeting the party-led coalition at the Centre for not being serious about tackling terror.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi will convene the meeting and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has come out with a 100-day plan to tackle terror, is expected to brief the CWC members about the actions taken by his government on internal security.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is under renewed criticism in the wake of the strikes, is a member of the CWC, the apex policy making body of the party.

Despite the Congress asking against indulging in politicking over the terror strikes at this sensitive moment, the opposition BJP has been attacking the government over the issue.

"The government's non-serious approach is reinforced by reports that the Mumbai attackers arrived in the city by the sea route," Senior BJP leader L K Advani said in a statement.

All the victims of Mumbai terror attacks were taken to various hospitals across the city and out of those, 26 bodies lie unclaimed in the state run JJ hospital.

Two of the hotel staffers have also been rescued and the security forces are now destroying ammunition in the hotel.

Meanwhile, Karmabir, the general manager of Taj who lost his wife and children, is still at work.

The sources also said that the internal structure around the fourth and the sixth floor of the Taj may be in danger, sources added.

Earlier, describing Saturday's operation, NSG chief J K Dutt said that a fire had been started in the hotel by NSG commandos to smoke out terrorists. However, the mopping up operation is still on.

The NSG chief briefed the press about the ongoing operation today. He said, "The Taj encounter is over and three terrorists had been gunned down on Saturday morning. Two terrorists were gunned down on Friday."

Dutt did not officially confirmed if the operation is over. He said the operation will be over only when all rooms are sanitised. He, however, said the Taj hotel is under their control.

The NSG chief also said that one commando has been killed in the Taj operation, and some hand grenades and AK-47s have been recovered from him.

Earlier, in the wee hours of Saturday, fresh explosions were heard at the heritage hotel. There was heavy firing and explosions in Wasabi restaurant in the Taj late on Friday night. Two to three terrorists are left and are intermittently firing at NSG.

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