SITREP #7: AN INDIAN TRAGEDY ENDS; AFTER 60 HOURS, ALL

UNCLAS MUMBAI 000551 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DS/ER/CC DS FRONT OFFICE DS/IP/SCA DS/DSS/ITA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PTER PGOV IN SUBJECT: SITREP #7: AN INDIAN TRAGEDY ENDS; AFTER 60 HOURS, ALL TERRORISTS ARE DEAD, SAY SECURITY FORCES ¶1. (SBU) Around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, November 29, J.K. Dutt, Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG) forces, said that NSG forces killed three of the terrorists during a final assault during the night. (Operations at Nariman House had ended around midnight on Friday/Saturday, and at the Oberoi during the day on Friday.) Dutt said that one of the terrorists was shot and killed as he attempted to lob a grenade. "We found the dead bodies of two terrorists inside the hotel lobby with AK-47s," Dutt said. Dutt could not confirm that the Taj had been cleared of all threats, including unexploded ammunition. Police have told Congenoffs that NSG forces are carefully sweeping the Taj to look for any more possible terrorists or people hiding inside the hotel before bringing out the bodies inside. According to Consular and RSO teams, gunfire and explosions continued throughout the night at the Taj. A/RSO estimated that NSG forces used grenade launchers to dislodge or kill the terrorists. After almost 60 hours, the terrorist siege of Mumbai has finally ended. ¶2. (SBU) Reports of casualties continue to be in flux. Media reports report 181 dead with at least 370 wounded. Dutt announced that two NSG commandos were killed, one at the Taj and one at Nariman House. All of the bodies from the Oberoi tower have been removed, and are now at a local morgue for identification. The A/RSO at the Taj Hotel reports that at least one person has exited the hotel in the last three hours, a hotel employee. We have no indication that there are more Americans in the Taj, but will seek to confirm this as soon as possible. Taj Hotel personnel told Congenoffs that hotel staff is going over guest lists to check for unaccounted for guests in order to identify the bodies still in the hotel. Based on anecdotal reports, there is likely to be many more casualties. Consular Assistance Continues -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Amcit Aryeh Teitelbaum was positively identified to ARSO/I and Conoff by official Israeli personnel, becoming the sixth confirmed Amcit killed. The Israeli CG is headed to the morgue again to meet the body and two others from Nariman House. Due to the same Shabat restrictions discussed in the Holtzberg case, we will not be making the notification until after sunset Mumbai time. At the request of the families for religious reasons, the Israelis will handle the repatriation of Teitelbaum, Holtzberg and Chroman. FOLMSBEE