Tensions rise as India points finger at Pakistani militants

Published on Sunday 30 November 2008 21:05

TENSIONS between India and Pakistan intensified last night as a Pakistani militant group was blamed for the Mumbai terror attacks that left at least 174 people dead.

Joint crime police commissioner Rakesh Maria said a "hardcore group" from the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was behind the carefully planned attacks.

The group has long been seen as a creation of the Pakistani intelligence service to help wage its clandestine war against India in disputed Kashmir.

The development came after New Delhi raised security to "war level" and insisted upon a Pakistani link to the attacks.

Earlier a US counter-terrorism official said some "signatures of the attack" were consistent with Lashkar and another group that has operated in Kashmir. Both are said to be linked to al-Qaeda.

Yesterday saw the resignation of India's top security official as the government struggled under growing accusations of security failures following terror attacks.

Home minister Shivraj Patil, who has become highly unpopular during a long series of terror attacks across India, submitted his letter of resignation to prime minister Manmohan Singh, who accepted.

The Cabinet shuffling comes as a chorus of criticism about the government's handling of the Mumbai attacks grows louder.

"Our Politicians Fiddle as Innocents Die," read a headline on Sunday in the Times of India newspaper.

A day after the siege ended, authorities were still removing victims' bodies from the Taj Mahal hotel, where three suspected Muslim militants made a last stand before Indian commandos killed them in a blaze of gunfire and explosions.

Yesterday, the waterfront landmark, popular among foreign tourists and Indian high society, was surrounded by metal barricades, its shattered windows boarded over. At the famous Gateway of India basalt arch nearby, a shrine of candles, flowers and messages commemorated victims.

"We have been to two funerals already," Mumbai resident Karin Dutta said, as she placed a small bouquet of white flowers for friends killed in the hotel. "We're going to another one now."

The rampage was carried out by gunmen at ten sites across Mumbai, starting on Wednesday night. At least 239 were wounded.

The death toll was revised down from 195, after authorities said some bodies were counted twice, but they said it could rise again, as areas of the Taj Mahal hotel were still being searched. Among the dead were 18 foreigners, including six Americans. Nine gunmen were killed.

The dead also included Germans, Canadians, Israelis and nationals from Britain, Italy, Japan, China, Thailand, Australia and Singapore.

Indian officials said the sole surviving gunman, now in custody, was from Pakistan and voiced suspicions about their neighbour.

Islamabad responded by stating that it was prepared to move troops to the Indian border if the diplomatic situation worsened. Pakistan has categorically denied any links between the militants and its state agencies.

The war of words has raised fears of a possible surge of violence in the sub-continent. The nuclear-armed rivals have fought three wars against each other, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Prime minister Singh called a rare meeting of leaders from the country's main political parties to discuss the situation.

As officials pointed the finger at "elements in Pakistan", public ire over the government's actions widened.

"People are worried, but the key difference is anger," said Rajesh Jain, chief executive officer at brokerage firm Pranav Securities. "Does the government have the will, the ability to tackle the dangers we face?"

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Britain must reassess its ability to respond to terrorist attacks in the wake of the massacre in Mumbai.

She added that the attacks would "test" the warming of relations between India and Pakistan, which she said was "fundamental" to tackling terrorism.

Her comments follow suggestions from the chair of the Commons counter-terrorism sub committee that Britain would be ill-prepared to cope with a similar assault.

Patrick Mercer said the Olympics in London would be a "magnet" for terrorists.

"What can happen in Mumbai could just as well happen in Manchester or Birmingham. We'd find it very difficult to cope with this style of attack."

'He didn't even look back, he just fired'

THE militants waited in the shadows for the police van to pass – then sprayed it with gunfire when it slowed down in the narrow road.

The gunmen opened the doors and dumped five officers' bodies into the streets, before climbing into the van to continue their attack.

What they did not know was that two officers, including Constable Arun Jadhav, were in the back seat, alive.

Mr Jadhav yesterday revealed details of his escape, after being driven through Mumbai by some of the gunmen who launched a string of attacks and a siege which would last for 60 more hours. At least 174 people have died and 295 been injured.

Mr Jadhav was hit by three bullets, two of which left his hands nearly paralysed.

While one of the men drove the van, another pointed his rifle out of the window and fired on a crowd outside a cinema. Later, he threw a grenade outside a state government building.

The young gunmen said little, but are said to have spoken Hindi with a strong Punjabi, north-Indian accent.

At one point, a mobile phone in Mr Jadhav's colleague's pocket rang. The gunman in the front seat turned around and fired.

"He didn't even look back properly, he just fired," Mr Jadhav said. "I think my colleague had been still alive. He died with those bullets."

Finally, one of the van's tires went flat, and the gunmen abandoned the vehicle.

Mr Jadhav used the police radio to call for backup. He is now recovering in hospital.

IN QUOTES

AN ELITE Black Cat Commando involved in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel siege last night told of the dramatic search for survivors.

Sunil Kumar said: "Things were bad. Everyone was scared. Nobody knew what was happening. We were just focused on the terrorists."

He said the troops were split into two teams, combing the hotel top to bottom.

"We cleared the sixth floor and roof without incident. Then the fifth. Then the fourth. By the time we got to the third floor, it was late. There were simply too many rooms. Many wouldn't open. Even with the master key. We had to enter by force to get people out who were too scared to evacuate."

He said a hotel employee who was guiding them through the building was gunned down.

"On the third floor a door swung open and he was gunned down. He wasn't wearing a bullet-proof vest. I dragged him out of range of the shots. But as I did, I received three rounds to my back. The terrorists were well trained. I couldn't see my attacker as I was dragging the guide away and had my back turned to him," he said.