India commandoes free hostages

NY Times:

Indian police commandos rescued some hostages on Thursday as standoffs continued against heavily armed militants who a day earlier had swept into Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, in a shocking series of coordinated and bloody attacks.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a televised address that the attackers probably had “external linkages” — the first official indication that the authorities were likely to blame outsiders.

The hooded gunmen, firing automatic weapons and throwing hand grenades, attacked at least two luxury hotels, the city’s largest train station, a Jewish center, a movie theater and a hospital.

The Mumbai police said Thursday afternoon that the attacks killed at least 101 people and wounded at least 314. It was not immediately clear how many hostages were freed in the commando operation or how many were still being held.

In his television address, Mr. Singh said the “well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of terror by choosing high-profile targets.” He did not specify the likely source of outside involvement.

Even by the standards of terrorism in India, which has suffered a rising number of attacks this year, the assaults were particularly brazen in scale, coordination and execution.

It was not clear on Thursday evening how many militants were involved in the attack. Nor was it known how many hostages were still being held.

Indian officials said the police had killed six of the suspected attackers and captured nine.

A group unknown to global terrorism experts claimed responsibility for the attacks in e-mails to Indian media outlets. Analysts believed the group, calling itself the Deccan Mujahedeen, has no apparent link to Al Qaeda.

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On Thursday afternoon, a police official said, guests who were being held hostage at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel had been “rescued,” although others had locked themselves in their rooms. People staying at the Trident-Oberoi, another five-star hotel that was attacked, apparently were still being detained, said the official, A.N. Roy, the police chief of Maharashtra State, where Mumbai is located. Roy appeared on NDTV on Thursday and was quoted by Reuters about the standoff at the Taj. “People who were held up there, they have all been rescued. But there are guests in the rooms, we don’t know how many,” he said.

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Hostages may also be held at a Jewish center that was attacked. One of the terrorist demanded that all of the Islamic religious bigots in India be released. I suspect that demand will be counter productive. In fact there are reports that several of the terrorist have been captured which could lead to even more arrest.

The Indians also appear to not be in a mood to suffer through a long hostage negotiation as the commando attacks demonstrate. Denying the enemy a hostage drama appears to be a top priority. This is probably strategically wise in preventing future attacks.

In the end this attack will only further lower the regard for the Islamic religious bigots whose use terror as a weapon to cover their impotence. It certainly has not enhance the respect they want for their point of view.