Mumbai 26/11 Attack: An Overview of the Tragedy

26th November 2008, the Mumbai attack is the day that marked the undesirable history, and the Taj hotel incident became one of the most talked-about news headlines that can never be forgotten. The day that shook the country’s financial capital and left the other states horrified has now been completed 14 years. 

10 Pakistan-based terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba were indulged in the Mumbai terror attack and coordinated the plan of trashing it to the foundation. On 26th November, the Mumbai attack was so destructive that it took 166 lives, including foreigners. 

The incident of the Mumbai blast was held at three different locations in 2008.

Here’s the detail to know what happened during the 26/11 terror attack

Taj Hotel Attack

26/11 Mumbai, Taj Hotel:

9:38 pm: The four terrorists were given the task of capturing the Taj Hotel. Two among the four, Abdul Rehman Bada and Abu Ali made their way to the hotel’s lobby area by placing an RDX bomb in front of the police post. They fired everyone who came in their way. 

9:43 pm: The rest two terrorists, Shoaib and Umer, entered the hotel through the La-Pat door of the palace and started shooting the guests in the poolside area. Also, La-Pat doors are generally closed to the public but were opened on the day for the wedding and corporate meetings. The fact was known by the terrorists who showed the exquisiteness in the plan. 

Here, four foreigners were shot down by the terrorists and a security guard Ravindra Kumar and his dog.

12:00 pm: By the time the police went active and surrounded the Taj, and the staff in the hotel somehow managed to assemble the guests in a small room. 

1:00 pm: The central dome of the hotel was bombed, which led to a tremendous fire. 

3:00 pm: The fireman and army joined the field. 

4:00 pm: The first round of evacuation started where the Marine commandos formed two groups. The first group was out safely, but the terrorists spotted the second group while they were exciting. Gautam Singh, a tandoor chef at Taj, was shot down dead. 

27/11 Taj Hotel

6:30 am: 200 commandos from New Delhi joined the field to take charge of the rescue operation in Taj and Oberoi. The government gave the orders to start up with the evacuation in batches. 

10:30 am: Gun battle took place from the building.

4:30 pm: The terrorists fired the room on the fourth floor of the building. 

28/11 Taj Hotel

7:30 pm: Ten grenade explosions took place within the building. 

29/11 Taj Hotel

8:00 pm: The Indian commandos announced that the Taj had been cleared of all the terrorists. 

NSG and medical teams sterilized the building after the last round of evacuation. While fire departments, St. George hospital, and JJ hospital were holding of the patients. 

The Oberoi-Trident

10:10 pm: Gunfire began at the entrance of the Trident, shooting down the gatekeeper. The two gunmen went to the reception area and started firing. Hotel staff, including trainees, were laid injured, and the gunmen made their way to the Opium Den Bar, the Tiffin, and later the Kandahar restaurants. 

They walked up to the Spa and killed the two Thai masseuses, leading to the grenade explosion in the lobby. 

27/11 Oberoi Trident

12:00 pm:  The Rapid Action Force joined the field and surrounded the building. 

6:00 pm: The police moved back as NSG took over the 2008 Mumbai attack.

6:45 pm: Gun battles started and went through the day. Many NSG and Mary personnel were reported injured. Evacuation started by this time, and approximately 31 people were rescued. 

7:25 pm: The terrorists fired the fourth floor of the building. 

28/11 Oberoi Trident

3:00 pm: The rescue operation was completed, and both the terrorists were killed. 

Nariman House

26/11 Nariman House

9:45 pm: The Nariman house was the Jewish community center run by Rabbi Gavriel Noach and his wife, Rivka Holtzberg, who were done with the dinner with their two-year-old son, Moshe, and six guests who were getting ready to go to bed. And suddenly a gunshot was heard. Terrorists laid an RDX bomb at the petrol pump that was next to the Nariman house. 

Rabbi, his wife, son, and guests were captured in the house for 40 hours. But after 12 hours, the cook and Moshe managed to escape from the house.

27/11 Nariman Trident

5:30 pm: A team of 20 commandos tried to enter the building, but the terrorists had already destroyed the lift and entrance gate of the Nariman House.

28/11 Nariman House

12:00 am: Nine hostages were rescued from the first floor. 

7:30 am: NSG commandos were airdropped onto the terrace of the building from a chopper. 

1:00 pm: Firing and grenade explosions went throughout the day. 

3:30 pm: A red flag was hosted from the fifth-floor window as a signal to the NSG authorities outside Bout the final assault. 

5:45 pm: An explosion destroyed the fourth floor of the building and even the fifth-floor staircase. 

6:00 pm: One of the NSG commandos went put up to the rooftop and showed the thumbs up as a sign declaring the operation successful. 

9:00 pm: NSG chief JK Dutta arrived at the field and declared the rescue mission at Nariman House to be successful. Rabbi, his wife, and five hostages were found dead, and one commando Joginder Singh was killed while two others were injured. 

The Taj Hotel bomb blast is one of the most horrifying attacks that occurred to date. Several people lost their lives. Even Hemant Karkare, who was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad. He also lost his life during the Taj hotel terrorist attack. 

The few names of 26/11 terrorists are – Abdul Rehman Bada, Abu Ali, Shoaib, Umer, Ajmal Amor Kasab, who was executing the plan that eventually failed. Whereas Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar, Tukaram Omble, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan were the 26/11 Mumbai Attack heroes who fought till their last breathe to protect the citizens and the country.