An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir October 2016 www.dfmagazine.ie 20 | by PAUL O'BRIEN i n P a r a d i s e O n 26th November 2008, a ten-man team attacked a number of targets in Mumbai, India. the death and de- struction that followed during three days of bombings and shootings shocked the world. Also shocking was that certain 'agencies' within India's neighbour, Pakistan, were accused of as- sisting the group responsible for the attacks, Lashkar-e-tayyiba; an accusation denied by Pakistan. the fallout from these attacks was to have world-wide repercussions. The ten gunmen left Karachi, Pakistan, by boat on November 23rd. They hijacked another ship en route, killing its crew, and con- tinued their journey to Mumbai, where they moored the ship off the coast. They transferred their equipment into inflatable boats and covertly docked in an area of fishing shanties. Breaking into smaller groups, they made their way to their targets. The attackers had planned their operation months in advance, studying detailed plans of their targets and undergoing comman- do-style explosives and weapons training. They knew the areas well, enabling them to attack, vanish and reappear at the next target while evading the security forces. A two-man team, comprising Mohammed Ajmal Kasab and Ismail Khan, made their way to the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, arriving at 21.21 hours on November 26th, where they opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd. The attack lasted 90 minutes as they walked through the station killing men, women and children. Both men then made their way to the Cama and Albless Hospital. However, staff in the hospital managed to secure the building, denying them entry. The two then encoun- tered a group of police officers, killing six of them. After hijacking a vehicle, Khan and Kasab headed for their next target, the Metro cinema. Encountering a police roadblock on the way, they opened fire from their vehicle, killing 10 people. They were pursued by police who intercepted them near Chowpatty Beach, where Khan and one of the police officers were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Kasab was captured after being wounded. Three-and-a-half hours had passed since the beginning of the attacks. A second team two-man team attacked the Leopold Café, a popular tourist restaurant and bar in South Mumbai, opened fire into the crowed building, killing 10 people and injuring many more. The next target was Nariman House, a community centre run by the Jewish Chabad Lubavitch movement. A number of explo- M u m b a i

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