2008 Mumbai attacks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Mumbai attacks of November 2008
Locations of some of the attacks
Location	Mumbai, India
Date	26 th November 2008 2120 hrs local time (IST, UTC +5:30)
Attack type	Bombings, Shootings, Hostages
Weapons	RDX, AK-47s, and grenades
Deaths	175
Non-fatal injuries	291
Suspected perpetrators	Pakistan based terrorist organisation viz. Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is now known as Makaz-ud-Dawa-wal-Irshad

The 2008 Mumbai attacks were carried out at seven places across Mumbai, India, on 26th November 2008. 175 people were killed and 291 were injured in these attacks.

Reasons for the attacks

Waging war against India .

Location	Type of attack
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station	Shootings; grenades.
Leopold Café, Colaba	Shootings.
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel	Shootings; six explosions; fire on the top floor; hostages were taken. The explosive material RDX was found nearby.
Oberoi Trident hotel	Shootings; explosions; fire; hostages were taken.
Cama Hospital	Shootings; hostages were taken.[1]
Mazagaon docks	Explosion; a boat with military weapons on it was stolen.
Cama Hospital	Shootings; hostages were taken.
Mumbai Chabad House (Nariman House)	Siege; shootings; hostages were taken.
Vile Parle suburb, North Mumbai	Car bomb.
Wadi Bandar, Mazgaon, South Mumbai	Car bomb.
Girgaum Chowpatty	One terrorist was shot and one caught alive

Who did the attacks?

Mumbai Terror Attacks

(November 26–29. 2008)

Mumbai City (mainly south Mumbai area) came under heavy terrorist attacks with gunmen firing sophisticated weapons, hurling grenades and blasts on Nov 26, 2008, from 2120 hrs. The attack began with two heavily armed terrorists opening indiscriminate fire and grenade attack on the public and police inside the CST (VT) Railway Station, after which, they threw grenades at BMC Office and then moved to Cama Hospital at a distance of about 200 mtrs from CST. They tried to take some hostages in the hospital, then, came out on main road where they shot dead the ATS chief, HemantKarkare and other police officials, who were coming in a Toyota Qualis vehicle. Two terrorists hijacked a police vehicle and tried to escape but faced cross fire from Police in which one terrorist (injured) was captured and other died near Metro Cinema.

Another group of terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on occupants of Leopold Cafe, Colaba (at a distance of 2.5 km from CST)and took some hostages including a Jewish couple. Later, the group holed itself up inside Nariman House after taking hostages while another group forced themselves inside the lobby of Hotel Taj (at 0.5 km from Nariman House),threw grenades and started indiscriminate firing on the people inside the hotel lobby. Later, they moved onto the third floor and took some hostages including foreigners. They tried to blast the dome of the hotel and set the hotel on fire through grenade blast. Yet another group of terrorists entered into the lobby of Hotel Trident Oberai (at 1.5 km from CST) and started indiscriminate firing at different locations including pool side/upper floors and took hostages. Two taxies carrying explosives were also exploded killing its drivers and inmates in WadiBunder and Vile Parle area.

In a major operation, the National Security Guards (NSG) neutralized all the terrorists holed up in Taj Hotel, Oberoi-Trident and Nariman House, Mumbai. The NSG completed the sanitization of Nariman House and Oberoi-Trident Hotel on November 29, 2008,Hotel Taj on early morning of November 30.In the attack, 175 persons were killed (Police-18, Public-122, Foreigners-26 and terrorists-9) and 291 were injured (Police-25,Public-243 Foreigners-22 and terrorist-1).

The multiple terrorist attacks in Mumbai were launched from Karachi from where a group of 10 Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT)fidayeens (all Pakistanis) equipped with arms/ammunition had sailed off on November 23,2008.GPS instrument recovered from the boat which they had hijacked mid sea for coming to Mumbai showed Karachi-Mumbai route plotted for navigation. A new militant outfit called Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigations have revealed that the sender of the email was connected to Zarrar Shah Communication, Coordinator of LeT based in Pakistan. One of the perpetrators namely Ajmal belonging to district Okara of Pakistan, who was captured, revealed in his interrogation his LeT connections and other details about the attack. According to him, the operation was planned by Zaki-ur-Rehman of LeT.

Nine terrorists killed in the operations by the security forces in Mumbai have been identified by Ajmal as his fidayeen associates from LeT.

Conviction of Mohd Amir MohdAjmalKasab and death penalty

Mohd Amir MohdAjmalKasab, Pakistani national and lone arrested terrorist was convicted by the Special Court, Mumbai (case no. 175/2009) and awarded death sentence on May 6, 2010. The death penalty was upheld by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India. The mercy petition of Ajmal Kasab was rejected by the President of India, and he was hanged on November 21,2012 at 7:30 am at Yerwada jail, Pune.

Acquittal of Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin

In the same case, two Indian accused viz. Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin were acquitted with benefit of the doubt on May 3, 2010 by The Trial Court. Prosecution has challenged the acquittal of both co-accused, before the Supreme Court.

Images for kids

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  Bullet marks on the wall at the CSMT

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  Bullet marks left at Leopold Cafe

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  The damaged Oberoi Trident hotel

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  The first floor of the Taj Hotel was completely gutted

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  Front view of the Nariman House a week after the attacks

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  NSG Commandos beginning the assault on Nariman House by fast-roping onto the terrace.

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  Candlelight vigils at the Gateway of India in Mumbai

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  Citizens gather outside The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel demanding the government take action.

See also

In Spanish: Atentados de Bombay de 2008 para niños