Mumbai, 27 November 2008- IR Summary/Agencies /NDTV -Around 24 terrorists came at about 9 PM on Wednesday in Mumbai, scattered into groups to operate at different points of the city and the encounter is still continuing.

One group first of all captured a police van and started firing indiscriminately on the people standing in the street nearby and entered the Taj by firing on every person that confronted them and also killed the hotel staff and went in along with their arms and ammunition and occupied their positions.

All terrorists were carrying ultra modern guns, a sizeable ammunition and powerful grenades and sharp trained mind to fulfill their mission and they started their operation more or less at the same time.

Three taxies were seen being exploded by powerful hand grenades or some sort of bomb, and many people wer seen bleeding, around 126 people are assumed to be dead and about 350 injured, as per unofficial figures, most of them were shifted to nearest hospitals.

There were 5 blasts at different places, India's financial capital was hit by multiple terrorist attacks. There was a hint that the Taj hotel could be the target of terrorists and the security was increased but last week, the security was relaxed a bit, the terrorists might have taken the undue advantage of the poor security and attacked.

Even otherwise the strategy of terrorists was new, no one expected that they would first start firing, kill everybody on their way and capture the hotel. In short, Taj Mahal hotel on the Gateway of India and Oberoi Hotel became their targets. They also attacked Oberoi.

Among the killed, there are more than 12 foreigners, 5 terrorists, 9 were arrested.  

The last ten hours saw flames engulf the landmark domes of the Taj across the Mumbai skyline. Terrorists holed up in the hotels heritage wing resorted to gunfire leading to an encounter with the police.

The scene quickly got out of hand as the terrorists spread across the hotel, threatening guests and security. By Wednesday night, the area was cordoned off and remains in curfew until now.

Many guests were asked to remain in their rooms or wherever they were to avoid any distraction by walking out. Some of these guests were hidden in bathrooms, bars, and kitchen and even lobby corners. They were later evacuated, first from the old wing of the Taj via fire engines and brought down on ladders from their room windows.

The Taj's entire heritage wing and its fifth floor has crumbled to pieces as fire spread and burnt out the suites on top. The fire on the central dome continued for over twelve hours. The interior of the building in the heritage is quite hollow now with the strcuture falling apart.

The rescue is ongoing even though most people from the Chambers, the exclusive club at Taj, were brought out much later by commandoes and the army. Some of these people also witnessed bouts of firing and were taken in rescue vans to move away from here.

The Taj hotels top management is inside the hotel and was with those who were held up inside.

Army has been called, commandoes are working on the operation, and they have the most sophisticated guns with telescope which can see beyond the wall. The authorities deployed 12 ambulances to carry the wounded and the dead.

The final report is awaited. It is the worst type of attack launched by the terrorists on Mumbai with a new strategy.