TERRORISTS LAUNCH COORDINATED ATTACKS THROUGHOUT MUMBAI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUMBAI 000545 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DS/ER/CC DS FRONT OFFICE DS/IP/SCA DS/DSS/ITA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PTER IN SUBJECT: TERRORISTS LAUNCH COORDINATED ATTACKS THROUGHOUT MUMBAI MUMBAI 00000545 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary. Beginning at about 9:30 pm local time on November 26, an unconfirmed number of terrorists launched coordinated attacks on at least five of South Mumbai's key hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and rail stations. Currently, at least 100 people are reported dead, of which at least six are reported to be foreign nationals, and over 240 have been injured. According to contacts, gunmen are still holding hostages in two major hotels, and the police believe that terrorists may still be active elsewhere in the city. The Indian government has deployed the armed forces, which are currently engaged in isolating the gunmen and ending the hostage stand-off in the hotels, as well as providing security in South Mumbai. According to press reports, a new group, the "Deccan Mujahaddin," has taken responsibility for the attacks. The Consulate has confirmed three American injuries, and we continue to receive reports of other possible injuries or casualties. The situation remains extremely fluid, as security operations continue, and information about casualties, armed forces activities, and the scale and purpose of the terrorist attacks remain hard to pin down. We will continue to provide Sitreps and updates throughout the day. End Summary. Terrorists Launch Coordinated Attacks in South Mumbai -------------- -------------- ¶2. Beginning at about 9:30 pm local time on November 26, an unconfirmed number of terrorists launched coordinated attacks on at least five of South Mumbai's key hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and rail stations. Currently, at least 100 people are reported dead, of which at least six are reported to be foreign nationals, and over 240 have been injured. Confirmed attack sites include Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station; two five star hotels, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower and the Oberoi/Trident Hotel complex (the Oberoi and Trident are separate but adjacent hotels that share a common ground); Leopold's Cafi, a popular tourist restaurant near the Taj Mahal Hotel; Cama Hosptial; and others. There have also been reports of car bombs and blasts near the Mumbai port, and in one suburban location. According to media reports and eyewitness accounts, the terrorists first attacked Leopod's Cafi - a popular tourist destination -- with grenades and automatic weapons, and entered the Taj Palace and Trident/Oberoi hotels looking for "British and American" passport holders to take hostage. Separately, armed gunmen launched an attack at CST, and may have been forced to flee to nearby Cama Hospital, where attacks continued. Around 2 am, two terrorists reportedly escaped from the Oberoi and fled down Marine Drive in a car, where they were eventually shot and killed by the police. According the press reports, a group called "Deccan Mujahaddin" has taken responsibility for the attacks, though no other information is known about this group at the time. (Note: The Deccan is a high plateau that makes up much of central India's land mass, comprised of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. End Note.) ¶3. (SBU) The Indian government called in elements of the armed forces, including Army commandos and National Security Guard (NSG forces) who have now taken control of South Mumbai from the Maharashtra and Mumbai police. Overall, the situation continues to be extremely fluid. Dozens of television channels have reported a breathless mix of rumor, fact, and speculation. Calls to police, hotel, and armed forces contacts have resulted in a wide mix of information, some of which has proven unverifiable or untrue. At this point, it is not clear which Indian government agency is in charge of the attack area, and neither the police, the Maharashtrian or Indian governments, or the armed forces have appointed a point of contact or spokesperson through which accurate information can transmitted. The police are advising Mumbai residents to stay in their homes, as there is still the possibility that other cells may be activated, or gunmen may escape from their current locations around South Mumbai. According to press reports, over 12 police officers have been killed in these operations, including the Chief of Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad, Hemant Karakare, who had arrested a number of Muslim suspects in the July terrorist attacks in Ahmedabad, as well as Hindu suspects in the September Malegaon bombings. The National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange, the nation's main stock exchanges, will be closed today, as are all schools and MUMBAI 00000545 002.2 OF 002 government offices. While the commuter trains - Mumbai's lifeline - are up and running, it is believed that the Army may institute a curfew in the city. Flights may be canceled or delayed but the currently the airports of Mumbai are open and operating. Two Hostage Situations at Five Star Hotels -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) As of 11 am on November 27, armed forces - including commandos - and National Security Guard (NSG) troops had surrounded both the Oberoi/Trident and Taj Palace hotels. According to armed forces contacts at the scene, commando forces are engaged in ongoing operations to flush out terrorists who are believed to be in the hotels and holding an unconfirmed number of hostages. This contact could not confirm where in the hotel these operations were happening, or how many hostages or terrorists were involved. There were several explosions and firefights at the Taj during the night, and the fire department has struggled to put out fires in the hotel's historic heritage wing. Contacts at the Taj Hotel maintained that all guests are being evacuated as it is safe to do so, but these continued operations are making it difficult to do so. An Army spokesperson has told the media that there are still 40-50 guests at the Taj, and possibly 4-5 hostage takers. The Consulate has received a number of calls from Amcits who are still in the hotel, but safe in their rooms for the time being. At the Oberoi/Trident, the hotel's security manager confirmed that paramilitary and NSG forces were inside the hotel. While many guests have been evacuated, he estimated that there were approximately 175-200 people in their rooms in the Trident tower, and approximately 100 in the Oberoi tower. He told Congenoff that there were two remaining terrorists, with six hostages, but this could not be confirmed by either the police or the armed forces. So far, it is not known whether the hostage takers have made any demands to the armed forces or government. Casualties -------------- ¶5. (SBU) According to the most current press reports, over 100 people have been killed, including six foreigners, and over 260 people injured. The Consular section has confirmed that one American, Andriena Varagona, was shot in the hand and thigh and was undergoing surgery at a local hospital for treatment. According to the Israeli Consulate, terrorists attacked a family of three at a Jewish religious and cultural center, two of whom are dual U.S-Israeli citizens, near the Trident/Oberoi hotels; Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg (Amcit) and his wife Rivkah are unconscious and have been taken to the hospital, while their son, Moshe (3 - Amcit),is unharmed. The German consulate confirms that at least one German has been killed. The Consulate is in contact with all major hospitals in South Mumbai, and is still working to learn whether any American citizens have been killed or injured. Consulate Response -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Consulate activated the phone tree at 11 pm and began forming a task force shortly after. All staff are safe and accounted for, staff in both North and South Mumbai were able to report to the Consulate without any major difficulties. Embassy New Delhi convened a mission-wide EAC meeting at 9 am; an ARSO also arrived from Chennai to assist the Consulate, with an FBI agent to follow. Teams were formed to monitor the situations at each of the major hotels involved in the attacks; other teams have been dispatched to find out about possible AmCits at secure hospitals. No one from the task force is on the ground at the major hotels or elsewhere in South Mumbai due to the security situation. FOLMSBEE