3 Lashkar fidayeen captured

Mumbai, November 28 (agencies): Maharashtra Police investigators say they have evidence that operatives of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the fidayeen-squad attacks in Mumbai – a charge which, if proven, could have far-reaching consequences for India-Pakistan relations.  Police sources said an injured terrorist captured during the fighting at the Taj Mahal hotel was tentatively identified as Ajmal Amir Kamal, a resident of Faridkot, near Multan, in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Highly-placed police sources said two other Pakistani nationals had also been held in the course of intense fighting on Thursday. All three, the sources said, identified themselves as members of a Lashkar fidayeen squad.
Based on the interrogation of the suspects, the investigators believe that one or more groups of Lashkar operatives left Karachi in a merchant ship early on Wednesday.  Late that night, an estimated 12 fidayeen left the ship in a small boat and rowed some 10 nautical miles to Mumbai’s Gateway of India area. The investigators say the fidayeen unit of which Mr. Kamal was a part then split up into at least six groups, each focussing on a separate target: Mumbai’s Nariman House, which is home to a large number of Israeli families and a Jewish prayer house; the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus rail station; the Cama hospital; the Girgaum seafront; and the Taj and Trident Oberoi hotels.
Meanwhile, intensified checkings and patrolling were being carried out at bus terminals, railway stations, airport, cinema halls and other public places. Hotel authorities were also asked to step up security at their establishments. In the national capital that witnessed a serial blast in September, policemen have been deployed in full strength. The city is going to polls on Saturday. “Our men have been briefed about the situation. We have strengthened the security by having maximum deployment. Checkings are being conducted at public places,” a senior Delhi Police official said. Leaving nothing to chance, security has also been stepped up at railway and Metro stations, inter-state bus terminals, airport, cinema halls, shopping malls and other sensitive points, he said. Police personnel were deployed across Tamil Nadu at places, including hotels and places of worship, where people congregate. A meeting of top police officials of the state was held on Thursday night. “We have taken certain decision regarding security and we are keen that they are implemented to the best,” DGP K P Jain said.
In star hotels and railway stations, Jain said, “we have ensured more physical presence of police.” In Kerala, security has been strengthened across the state, especially at Sabarimala temple where thousands of devotees are pouring in, as the annual pilgrimage is on. Authorities beefed up vigilance at all levels in Pune as terrorists struck ten places in south Mumbai which led to closure of many schools on Thursday. Joint Commissioner of Police, Pune Rajendra Sonavne appealed to citizens to ignore rumours and go about their daily chores without reservations. However, the terror strikes had a little impact on the normal life of this satellite city which has emerged as one of the centres of suspected terrorist activity in various forms. Police had stepped up patrolling throughout the city covering important junctions as well as five-star hotels. An alert has been sounded in Andhra Pradesh, too, where security has been tightened at all vital institutions and famous temples, besides railway and bus stations, police said. A Red alert has been issued in Karnataka as well.

Navy, Coast Guard Capture ‘Mothership’

Mumbai, November 28 (Agencies): The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have caught the ‘mothership’ called MV Alpha, 112 km from Mumbai, that reportedly smuggled the terrorists in Mumbai from Karachi. A CG spokesman said that searches were being carried out on board the ship but declined to elaborate. “The Naval and Coast Guards ships have since Thursday morning intercepted and checked antecedents of all the vessels operating or moored around the metropolis,” Vice-admiral J S Bedi Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Western Naval Command said earlier in the day. The surveillance of large areas of the Arabian Sea is still on, Bedi said as he disclosed that two Naval War Ships along with vessels from the Coast Guard, Helicopter and Dronniers Maritime reconnaissance Aircraft were involved in the massive sea-hunt.
These comments come in the wake of eye-witnesses saying they had seen young men in their early twenties carrying heavy rucksacks disgorge from High Speed Boats off the Gateway of India. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has said earlier today that the terrorists got ashore in South Mumbai from boats. “We have been boarding number of vessels and so far we have found that most of the ships searched has valid papers,” the Admiral told a news channel.
Damle said the Navy was assisting Mumbai police and NSG in the operations against the terrorists. On security measures initiated by the Navy, he said that in the past one year offshore patrol vessels ‘Sujata’ and ‘Sharda’ and Fast Attack Craft Bangaram have been extensively deployed for patrolling duties off the coast of Kerala and off the Lakshadweep islands. These ships also monitor the Sea Lanes of Communication or SLOCs passing close to Kerala and Lakshadweep, he said. He said the recent decisive intervention by the Indian Navy off the coast of Somalia is a timely reminder that the Navy is capable of protecting the country’s maritime interests. He said the Indian Navy’s initiative to take action against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden has been recognised all over the world.

In a first, India refuses to negotiate with terrorists

NEW DELHI, November 28 (Agencies): Probably marking a first in its reaction to hostage situations, India has refused to negotiate with terrorists, even though almost 40 foreigners were held captive by jihadis in Mumbai. India seems to have joined countries like US, Israel, Russia and some from Europe in refusing to negotiate with terrorists on hostages. Sources said there was no question of negotiating with the Mumbai terrorists – but it was important to “talk” to them. There are two aims in this – buy time for an eventual armed encounter, and get the hostages released in small batches, starting with women and children. India has a bad record in hostage situations – starting with the 1989 abduction of Rubaiyya Sayeed when her father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was home minister.
During the 1999 IC-814 hijack, India gave in to demands of Pakistani terrorists supported by Taliban. In return, India released three highly dangerous terrorists – Masood Azhar, who went on to create Jaish-e-Mohammed, Mushtaq Zargar and Omar Sheikh who is convicted of killing US journalist Daniel Pearl. In the years that followed, India learnt some things about hostage negotiations and its new resilience was tested on Thursday. In recent years, there have been attacks on Akshardham temple, and Raghunath and Shiva temples in Jammu in 2006, but they did not evolve into hostage situations. There had been no occasion until Mumbai to test the new Indian policy. But all accounts are that Indian security personnel did not negotiate with terrorists for ransom or for the hostages but only as a tactic to gain time.

Modi announces Rs 1 cr relief for terror victims

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said his government would give Rs one crore to the Maharashtra government to be dispersed to the kin of the deceased in the multiple terror attacks in Mumbai. Modi, who visited the residence of Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) Chief Hemant Karkare who was killed in the attack on Wednesday, said that the nation should join hands in the fight against terrorism.