VZCZCXRO0994
OO RUEHAST RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHBI #0545/01 3320834
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 270834Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL MUMBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6748
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 7986
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 1910
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 1734
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 1939
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0807
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0118

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