MUMBAI TRAIN ATTACK

The 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway inMumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains plying theWestern line of the Suburban Railway network. 209 people were killed and over 700 were injured

Pressure cooker bombs were placed on trains on the western line of the suburban ("local") train network, which forms the backbone of the city's transport network. Pressure cookers were used in this bombing and other recent explosions[1][2][3] to increase the afterburn in a thermobaric reaction, more powerful than conventional high explosives.[4] The first blast reportedly took place at 18:24 IST (12:54 UTC), and the explosions continued for approximately eleven minutes, until 18:35,[5] during the after-work rush hour. All the bombs had been placed in the first-class "general" compartments (some compartments are reserved for women, called "ladies" compartments) of several trains running from Churchgate, the city-centre end of the western railway line, to the western suburbs of the city. They exploded at or in the near vicinity of the suburban railway stations of Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra, KharRoad, Jogeshwari,Bhayandar and Borivali.[6][7] Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters that authorities had "some" information an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known".[8]

The bomb attacks in Mumbai came hours after a series of grenade attacks in Srinagar, the largest city in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Home Secretary V K Duggal said there was no link between the Srinagar and Mumbai bomb blasts.[9]

Injuries and fatalities

11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombingsConfirmed casualties

Train Blast locationCarriage

typeTime (IST) Deaths Injured Sources

Travelling northfrom Churchgate

KharRoad – Santacruz

FirstClass

18:24

17:50 Fast LocalChurchgate-

Borivali

Bandra – KharRoad

FirstClass

18:24

17:37 SlowLocal

Churchgate-Borivali

Jogeshwari (PF #1)FirstClass

18:25

17:54 Fast LocalChurchgate-

Borivali

MahimJunction (PF #3)

FirstClass

18:26

Travelling northfrom Churchgate

MiraRoad – Bhayandar

FirstClass

18:29

17:57 Fast LocalChurchgate-Virar

MatungaRoad – Mahim

Junction

FirstClass

18:30

17:37 Fast LocalChurchgate-Virar

Borivali 1 FirstClass

18:35

Total 11 minutes 209 714 [10]

1 One bomb exploded at this location, but another one was found by police and defused.[5]

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil confirmed that a total of 200 people were killed and another 714 others have been injured.[11] Additionally, various news organisations have reported that at least 200 people have died and that more than 700 others have been injured.[12][13][14][15][16] A week after the blasts in Mumbai the confirmed death toll rose to 207.[17] In September 2006 it was confirmed that the deathtoll had risen to 209.[18]

A state of high alert was declared in India's major cities. Both the airports in Mumbai were placed on high alert. The western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway networkwas at first shut down, although some trains resumed service later, and stringent security arrangements, including frisking and searching of commuters, were instituted on the other lines of the network. The city's bus service, the BEST, pressed extra buses into service to transport stranded commuters home.[19]

The Prime Minister also held a security meeting at his residence attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, andHome Secretary V K Duggal.[20]

Resumption of services and return to normality[edit]Western Railway services were restored on 11 July by 10.45 pm.[21] As a show of investor confidence, the Mumbai Stock Exchange rebounded, starting the day with theBSE Sensex Index up by nearly 1% in morning trade. Foreign investors also retained confidence, with the Sensex up almost 3% at 10,930.09 at the end of the day's trade.

Rescue and relief operations[edit]

Railway workers cutting a damaged part of the bomb-damaged coaches

Initial rescue efforts were hampered by the heavy rains and theprevalent monsoon flooding, but quickly took momentum after fellow passengers and bystanders helped victims to reach waiting ambulances and/or provided first aid.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 1,00,000 (approximately US$2,200) to the next of kin of those who died in the explosion. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 (approximately US$1,100) each.[9]

Indian Railways announced Rs 5,00,000 (approximately US$10,000) compensation and a job to the next of kin of those killed in the serial blasts in Mumbai. The announcements were made byRailways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav after visiting those injured in the blasts at a hospital in Mumbai.[22]

However a study commissioned by former MP Kirit Somaiya noted that that only 174 of the 1,077 victims had received compensation through the Railway Claims Tribunal.For the handicapped victims, only 15 out of 235 eligible cases had been taken care of. Regarding the Prime Minister's promise to India concerning the rehabilitation of the victims, L. K. Advani noted that "none of the above mentioned assurances has been fulfilled to any degree of satisfaction"[23]

Sources of information[edit]Due to the mobile phone networks being jammed, news channels such as NDTV ran tickertapes with information of injured individuals as well as SMS messages from those who wished to contact their families.[24] Reports indicated that at around 18:00 UTC on 11 July (midnight in Mumbai), the phone networks were restoring service; telephone service was completely restored during the night.

Mumbai Help, a blog run by around thirty bloggers, was a useful source of information, especially for those outside India.[citation needed]

Investigation

Main article: Mumbai serial train blasts investigations

Some 350 people were detained 36 hours after the incident in Maharashtra — police claim that these are people rounded up for investigations.[25] On 14 July, Lashkar-e-Qahhar, a terrorist organisation possibly linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the bombings. In an e-mail to an Indian TV channel, the outfit says it organised the bombings using 16 people who are all "safe". According to the e-mail,the main motive seems to have been a retaliation to the situation in the Gujarat and Kashmir regions, possibly referring to the alleged oppression of Muslim minorities in certain parts of the region. It also says that the blasts were part of a series of attacks aimed at other sites such as the Mumbai international airport, Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Red Fort in New Delhi. The authorities are investigating this claim and are trying to track the location of the e-mailsender.[26] However, on 17 July, the forensic science laboratory Mumbai has confirmedthe use of a mixture of the highly explosive RDX and Ammonium Nitrate for the

bombings. The presence of these explosives in the post explosive debris was confirmed by modern techniques such as Liquid Chromatography with mass detector (LCMS), Gas Chromatography with mass detector (GCMS) and Ion Scan Chromatography. They have indicated a strong possibility of all explosives being planted at the Churchgate railway station, which was the starting point for all affected trains.[27]

Initially, religious extremists from the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the banned Students Islamic Movement of India terrorist groups, and Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI were the prime suspects.[28][29] Both Lashkar and SIMI denied responsibilityfor the bombings.[30][31] There was also evidence about the involvement of the international Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda following a phone call from a man claiming to be a spokesperson for the group on 13 July. The alleged al-Qaeda spokesman had said the blasts were a "consequence of Indian oppression and suppression of minorities, particularly Muslims."[32]

On 30 September 2006 CNN reported that "The Indian government accused Pakistan'smilitary spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, of planning the 11 July Mumbai train bombings that killed 209 people".[18]

Arrests[edit]On 21 July 2006 police arrested three people suspected to be involved in the bombings.[33] Police have detained more than 300 suspects since 18 July but these are the first arrests in the case.[34] Two of the men were detained on Thursday in the northern state of Bihar and the third later in Mumbai.[35][36] All three are said to belong to the banned SIMI organisation.

On the same day, Abdul Karim Tunda was thought to be arrested in Mombasa, Kenya on suspicions of involvement in the train bombings.[37] but it was the wrong person. He was one of India's most wanted men and also a suspected organiser for the banned Islamic terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba.[38] He was arrested in 2013 near the Nepal border.

In late 2006, all the seven key accused in the Mumbai train blasts in July retracted their alleged confession to the police, saying they were illegally forced to sign blank papers, an Indian TV channel reported.[39]

Muslim reaction to the arrests[edit]Following the blasts, almost immediately, police arrested hundreds of Muslims for theinvestigation purposes. Although the police denied singling out any group, the critics

retorted that police had been mostly raiding the Muslim dominated-pockets in India asall of the perpetrators were Muslims in the blasts.

The imam of India’s largest mosque — the Jama Masjid in New Delhi — Syed Ahmed Bukhari said, “Of course this is a deliberate targeting of Muslims”. Another Muslim leader Anees Durrani echoed Imam Bukhari’s views. He said, “very biased against Muslims”. He further added, “You can see that very plainly by the way the investigations are proceeding. Leaders of Indian Muslims have condemned the Mumbai blasts and others before 11 July. No one knows who carried out the blasts butthe needle of suspicion is always pointed towards us”.[40]

Continuing investigation[edit]M K Narayanan, the Indian National Security Advisor, has said that India doesn't have"clinching" evidence of the involvement of ISI in the Mumbai train blasts of 11 July[citation needed].

"I would hesitate to say we have clinching evidence but we have pretty good evidence," he was quoted as saying on CNN-IBN.

Following Narayanan's remarks, the Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal on Monday characterised the evidence as "very good [...] it is fairly solid evidence,". 5 On 25 September 2008, Hindustan Times reported that "the Crime branch also learnt that the men [behind 2008 Delhi bombings] are those very operatives who had introduced themselves as Pakistanis to perpetrators of 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings .[41]

Jemaah Islamiyah is known to use pressure cooker bombs with RDX and like explosives with taggants. Note that Jemaah Islamiyah had operatives in the Pakistan areas active in religious indoctrination and that were working with Egyptian Islamic Jihad through al-Zawahiri who taught on the use of pressure cooker bombs. As such it is quite possible that Jemaah Islamiyah was involved in the attack possibly through Indian Mujahideen which it also forms part of. Note that Jemaah Islamiyah was behind the 9-11 anthrax attacks as well.

Involvement of Indian Mujahideen[edit]On 27 February 2009, Sadiq Sheikh, an arrested leader of the Indian Mujahideen confessed to his alleged role in the bombings in a news channel broadcast.[42] He claimed to have engineered the pressure cooker bombs with his associates in a flat in central Mumbai. If verified, these allegations could invalidate the previous claims by the ATS that the ISI or the SIMI were involved. Sadiq states in his confession, ‘‘All five of us arranged local first class train passes beforehand. We

also had the local train time table with us so that we could choose a train as per our convenience. We purchased bags and pressure cookers in Bombay.’’ He also claimed to have misled investigators by blaming the attacks on the Al-Qaeda. On 6 April 2013,IM co-founder Sadiq Sheikh declared hostile witness by defence advocates.[43]

Convictions[edit]In September 2015, 12 people were convicted in this case. On 30 September 2015, a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court sentenced to death Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Sidduqui and Naveed Khan who planted the bombs in various trains.[44]

The other seven convicts—Mohammed Sajid Ansari, who prepared the electrical circuits for the bombs, Mohammed Ali, who provided his Govandi residence to make the bombs, Dr Tanveer Ansari, one of the conspirators, and Majid Shafi, Muzzammil Shaikh, Sohail Shaikh and Zamir Shaikh who provided logistical support – were sentenced to life.[45]

Impact[edit]

Heightened security measures[edit]In wake of the blasts, the Indian government tightened security in railway stations. Under new restrictions passed by the Ministry of Railways, non-passengers would no longer be allowed on the railway platforms after July 2006. Other major security stepsinclude installation of close circuit televisions inside the stations for round-the-clock vigil and installation of metal detectors.[46]

Statements in response[edit]This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010)

Main article: Statements in response to the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings

Various senior political figures from India and around the world condemned the attacks. In India, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was quick to call for calm in Mumbai, while President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, and president of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi also issued statements regarding the bombings in Mumbai. Officials from other nations offered their condolences to those affected by the bombings. Officials, from Pakistan which

has long feuded with India, and the United Kingdom, which was the target of similar attacks the previous July, were among those who denounced the attacks in Mumbai as well as terrorism as a whole. Several terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Toiba and al-Qaeda, made comments — both in condemnation and condonation — about the attacks as well.

Memorial service[edit]A memorial service was held in Mumbai on 18 July at 6:25 pm local time — exactly one week after the blasts. President Abdul Kalam, his hand raised to his forehead in salute, led the two-minute silence as people lit candles and placed wreaths at Mahim station, one of the seven places on the suburban rail network hit by bombs. Sirens sounded across Mumbai marking the memorial service. People gathered at the site of the blasts, in railway stations on the city's Western Line, traffic came to a halt, It interrupted films and observed a moment of silence to pay homage to the victims

2008 Mumbai attacks

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was attacked by two gunmen. One of them, Ajmal Kasab, was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire,[51] using AK-47 rifles.[52] The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others,[52] their assault ending at about 22:45.[51] Security forces and emergency services arrived shortly afterwards. Continuous announcements by a brave railway announcer, Vishnu Dattaram Zende, alerted passengers to leave the station and saved scores of lives.[53][54] The two gunmen fled the scene and fired at pedestrians and police officers in the streets, killing eight police officers. The attackers passed a police station. Many of the outgunned police officers were afraid to confront the attackers, and instead switched off the lights and secured the gates.

The attackers then headed towards Cama Hospital with an intention to kill patients,[55] but the hospital staff locked all of the patient wards. A team of theMumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad led by police chief Hemant Karkare searched the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and then left in pursuit of Kasab and Khan. Kasab and Khan opened fire on the vehicle in a lane next to the hospital and the police returned fire. Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and one of their officers were killed, though the only survivor,Constable Arun Jadhav, was wounded.[56] Kasab and Khan seized the police vehicle but later abandoned it and seized a passenger car instead. They then ran into a police roadblock, which had been set up after Jadhav radioed for help.[57] A gun battle then ensued in which Khan was killed and Kasab was wounded. After a physical struggle, Kasab was arrested.[58] A police officer, Tukaram Omble was also killed when he ran in front of Kasab to shoot him.

During and immediately after the 2008 Mumbai attacks the news media worldwide broadcast incorrect factual information on a scale often seen in a fog of war. Erroneous reporting on the 2008 Mumbai attacks included false information concerning the numberof attackers, their nationality, their organizational affiliations, origins, and the methods of transport they had used. Theories and speculations were openly aired by various commentators that were later proved to be wrong. Many such speculations, such as the involvement in the attacks of the "Deccan Mujahideen", were widely reported by media worldwide. Various news outlets carried opinion pieces and unattributed theories about the origins of the attackers which were unfounded.

Background[edit]

Main article: 2008 Mumbai attacks

On 26 November 2008, in the evening, local time, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks began in the city of Mumbai, India's largest city. Targets included the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus and two large hotels. The attack involved both explosives and gunfire and resulted in the deaths of at least 175 people, with many more injured. Actions to clear the city of the terrorists by the authorities lasted for three days; the final gunman was killed at the Taj Mahal Hotel on 29 November. There was enormous media coverage during this attack and many of the early reports gave information that was later shown to be false. Similarly, many news outlets carried opinions and unattributed theories, both during and immediately after the attacks, which also caused confusion.

Number of attackers[edit]

Only one terrorist involved in these attacks was taken alive. Ajmal Kasab was captured at the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus. He reportedly claimed that he had been one of a total of 16 fidayeen, although this number was not cited in later police or news reports.[1] He claimed that there had been another nine with him in the boat that had brought him to Mumbai. On 1 December, news reports indicated that investigators still had concerns that there may be terrorists still at large in the city. This was due to the presence of 15 toothbrushes and 15 winter jackets found aboard the hijacked vessel used to transport the hijackers to Mumbai.[2]

On 2 December, the belief that there had been ten terrorists, all coming into Mumbai from Karachi via a hijacked trawler, was given by Mumbai Police Commissioner

Hassan Gafoor. He explained that he had reason to believe that the terrorists had broken up into five groups of two men each, during the attacks.[3]

Responsibility claimed[edit]

A group claiming to be Indian made contact with news media, but the language used by them caused confusion over their actual origins. Indian authorities asserted that none of the terrorists were Indian, a claim that was later proved correct when it was revealed through evidence and the testimony of the surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab that all of the attackers were Pakistani.[4]

Deccan Mujahideen[edit]A previously unknown organisation identifying itself as the Deccan Mujahideen initially claimed responsibility by e-mail sent to news organisations.[5]

[6]The name may be due to the Muslim Mughal Empire conquest of the Deccan plateau, which marked the peak of Muslim dominance in the sub-continent. On 1 December 2008, a new message was sent by the group threatening to attack one or more of three key Indian airports: New Delhi, Chennai or Bangalore.[7][8]

E-mail to Indian media claiming responsibility[edit]Claims were initially made via an e-mail sent to news agencies by a group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen (Urdu: دین ہدکن مجا ; also referred to asMujahideen Hyderabad Deccan).[9][10][11][12][13] The Internet connection from which the e-mail was originally sent was reportedly traced to Russia, and was considered, for this reason, likely to be bogus by some intelligence experts such as B Raman, who spoke to NewsX.[14] Further analysis, however, determined that the Russian e-mail address was registered to a computer user located in Pakistan,[15] and routed through Lahore.[16] India's RAW intelligence agency suggested that voice recognition software had been used to create the e-mail content. Analysis shows that the language of the manifesto corresponds to similar language used by a prior Indian Mujahideen manifesto issued after a New Delhi bombing in September 2008, thus raising the possibility that the authors may be linked.[17] A factor weighing against this likelihood,however, is the language: the e-mail purportedly sent by the Deccan Mujahideen was written in Hindi with some Urdu words, and used a relatively mild tone, compared with previous Indian Mujahideen e-mails, which have been in English.[18]

The New York Times has stated that international security experts "drew a blank on" the Deccan Mujahideen group, with one analyst labelling it a "front name", [19] perhaps from a "home-grown" terrorist group, such as Indian Mujahideen (IM).[20] The existence of a group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen was unknown to

intelligence agencies prior to the Mumbai attacks in November 2008[9] and the existence of the Deccan Mujahideen has not been verified. It may be an assumed name for another terrorist organization.[21][22] Indian Islamic militants are known to issue hoax claims of responsibility in this fashion.[23]

Cellphone call to India TV[edit]Two of the terrorists involved in the attack, Shadullah and Imran Babar, called India TV twice during the siege on Thursday, 27 November, using cellphones they had taken from their hostages. Shadullah claimed that he belonged to Deccan Mujahideen.The anchor repeatedly asked whether he was fromHyderabad, India, or from Hyderabad in Pakistan, to which he responded that he belonged to Hyderabad of the Deccan. Shadullah also spoke of his motives during this conversation.[24]

However, it has been suggested that "[the] risible attempt to claim the Mumbai killings in the name of the "Deccan Mujahideen" merely confirms that wherever the killers are from, it is not the Deccan."[25] The Times of India has questioned the authentic use of the term Deccan, since "Deccan" could denote any place between Pune and Hyderabad. It further cited unnamed analysts who ruled out direct connection with Hyderabad citizens or a home-grown Indian organisation since "the attacks bear the stamp of a high motivated and trained foreign agency."[9]

Threat of further attack at airports[edit]On 1 December, another e-mail was sent by the "Deccan Mujahideen" threatening a hijacking or an attack at one of three major Indian airports.[7][8] This was to take place between 3–7 December, it was threatened. Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore airports were all put on a high state of alert as a result.[26]

Responsibility alleged[edit]

A number of terrorist and other organisations have been mentioned in news sources regarding the ongoing investigations into the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. These organisations and individuals are detailed below. This should not be misconstrued as alist of those considered likely to have had involvement in the attacks.

Indian Mujahideen[edit]The Indian Mujahideen terrorist group threatened in September 2008 to carry out bombings in Mumbai.[27][28] Foreign Policy magazine has speculated that it is possible the Deccan Mujahideen organisation, if it exists, could be related to this organisation.[29][30] On 21 September 2008, Delhi police raided Batla House and arrested members of Indian Mujahideen. This reputedly caused an indirect change to the timetable of the

attack.[31] When Batla House was raided, Delhi police claimed that there was a conspiracy between Indian Mujahideen, the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), and Lashkar-e-Taiba (see below).[32]

According to some news reports, a terrorist holding hostages at the Oberoi Trident Hotel during the Mumbai attacks of November 2008 told an Indian TV channel that they wanted all 'Mujahideen' in Indian prisons set free before they released their hostages. He also indicated that there were seven terrorists holding hostages at that location.[33][34] Other reports indicate that this demand was made through a hostage at the Mumbai Chabad House, in a call to the Israeli embassy in New Delhi.[35]

Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)[edit]Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was suspected of providing local assistance to the attackers.[36] A number of sympathizers of SIMI were detained on 27 November and questioned in connection with the attacks.[37] SIMI's activities, as separable from those of Indian Mujahideen, is a subject of debate. Time Magazine hascited an unnamed Indian expert's assertion that, "Indian Mujahideen is simply a renamed SIMI."[38]

Jaish-e-Mohammed[edit]As early as 27 November, published reports contained suggestions by analysts that a connection might exist between the attacks and the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) organisation, even as others questioned whether "Deccan Mujahideen" could be an Indian-based "home-grown militancy."[39]

On 3 December, the Indian Foreign Minister added the name of Masood Azhar [40] (alias Maulana Masood Azhar), leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, to the list of people wanted in connection with the Mumbai attacks and prior terrorist attacks in India. Azhar was described as "a suspected terrorist freed from prison in India in exchange for the release of hostages aboard a hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft in December 1999."[41]

D-Company[edit]D-Company is an underworld gang that operates in Mumbai. It is headed (2010) by Dawood Ibrahim. D-Company has been blamed for other past terrorist attacks, including the 1993 Mumbai bombings, which led some analysts immediately to speculate about a direct connection between D-Company and the 2008 attacks. Maloy Krishna Dhar, former joint director of India's intelligence bureau, stated, "I distinctly

see the hand of Dawood Ibrahim's gang, in the knowledge of Mumbai we witnessed."[42]

Al-Qaeda[edit]Experts have conflicting views as to whether Al Qaeda played a role in the attacks.[43]

[44][45] As events unfolded on 27 November, direct or indirect involvement by Al Qaeda could not be ruled out by Indian and British officials, although they noted that "the assault is not typical of the group, which generally favors suicide bombings."[46] On the same day, various experts likewise pointed to differences between the ongoing attacks and prior Al Qaeda operations, and indeed bloggers[unreliable source?] began to warn that any such connection may merely be intended as a false flag pretext for a US military response.[47]On 29 November, unnamed Indian and American intelligence sources reported increasing evidence for an indirect connection to Al Qaeda through Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).[48]Others analysts considered that the attackers in Mumbai, even if they were not directly or even indirectly linked to the more notorious terrorist group, were at least philosophically aligned or inspired by Al Qaeda.[49]

On 27 November, Christine Fair, of the RAND Corporation, warned explicitly about making an overly-hasty connection between these attacks and the 9/11 attacks, stating that it was, in her opinion, an act of indigenous disaffected Indians: "There’s absolutely nothing Al Qaeda-like about it... This is not India's 9/11. This is India's Oklahoma City."[47][50] Such analysis, however, proved not to have been wholly correct. Later reports indicated that all the attackers came to India from Pakistan.

Until 2 December, claims that the attackers had had links to Al Qaeda were generally unsubstantiated. However, indirect ties between Al Qaeda and the Mumbai terrorists have emerged based on the following assertions:

One or more of the Mumbai attackers were trained by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). The only surviving attacker "told police that he and the other nine gunmen had trained for months in camps inPakistan operated by the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, or LeT.[51]

Senior Al Qaeda member Abu Zubaydah was captured at a Lashkar-e-Toiba safehouse in 2002, and operational links between the two groups may have continued through to the present day.[52]

Harkat-ul-Jihad, a Pakistani and former Bangladeshi militant, operating on the Afghan border alongside Al Qaeda, was said to have taken over LeT training operations.[53][54]

In 1993, the United States uncovered an al Qaeda plot against targets in New York City, which was very similar in concept to that used in the Mumbai attacks.[55]

Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence[edit]Rogue elements of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency may have provided training or material support for the terrorists.[56] The ISI has been suspected of providing support to LeT or JeM in the past,[57] and it has been suggested that *the equipment, training and sophistication of [the planning of the Mumbai attacks] would tend to indicate a Pakistani link."[56] It has also been alleged that the ISI once had plans, now abandoned, to support LeT-trained insurgents in attacks on Indian-controlled Kashmir. "The possibility of rogue elements in ISI and jihadi elements in Pakistan conspiring to create tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad cannot be ruled out."[58] The many fake identities and credit cards used by the terrorists have alsoled Mumbai police to suspect ISI involvement.[59]

Sources from Pakistan have fiercely opposed this allegation. Pakistan's Ambassador tothe US stated: "No element of Pakistan's State or Government was involved in these attacks. These attacks are the actions of non-state actors."[60]

Former or active Pakistani Army members[edit]In December, reports alleged that the terrorists had been trained by former members ofthe Pakistani army: "Mumbai police commissioner Hasan Ghafoor said ex-Pakistani army officers trained the group – some for up to 18 months..."[51] These news reports asserted that two active-duty Pakistani army corps commanders may have provided equipment and training for up to "70-odd terrorists tasked with the Mumbai operations." Analysts were said to be divided over whether Pakistani army chief Ashfaq Kiyani knew of these operations.[61] Increasing strains between the civil and military leadership of the Pakistani government was widely noted in the days following the Mumbai attack.[57]

Indian fugitives in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia[edit]On 3 December, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee released a statement that the Indian government was asking the Pakistani authorities for the arrest and extradition to India of about 20 Indian fugitives believed to be currently residing in Pakistan, in connection with the November 2008 and previous terrorist attacks. These

fugitives included Dawood Ibrahim and Masood Azhar.[41] Pakistani President Asif AliZardari responded to this request by stating that these suspects, if they were in Pakistan, would be tried in Pakistani courts if there was evidence of any wrongdoing by them. "At the moment, these are just names of individuals – no proof and no investigation," he told CNN. "If we had the proof, we would try them in our courts and we would try them in our land and we would sentence them."[62]

Reports have emerged of a possible connection between Indian residents and non-resident Indians (NRI) living in Saudi Arabia. Such Indian nationals who hold radical Muslim beliefs, living overseas, may be behind the financing and organisation of the operations of the Indian Mujahideen. These individuals have allegedly recruited and trained followers at LeT camps in Pakistan and been behind the terrorist bombings of Indian cities by Indian Mujahideen.[63]

Indians possibly or allegedly involved in international terrorist networks include: Abdul Bari, a Hyderabad resident and possible financier of Indian Mujahideen (IM) operations; CAM Basheer, a leader of SIMI in the late 1980s, an aeronautical engineerand allegedly trained in LeT camps; Dawood Ibrahim, who has possibly aided smuggling or provided other logistical support and is wanted in connection with the Mumbai bombings of 1993;[41] Amir Raza Khan, who has allegedly helped to create Indian Mujahideen and is believed to be responsible for the 13 September 2008 Delhi bombings; and Riyaz Bhatkal, possibly also known as "Shahrukh", and allegedly instrumental in the creation of Indian Mujahideen. He is thought to have fled to Pakistan after involvement in other terrorist attacks, including the 1993 Mumbai bombings and the 13 September 2008 Delhi bombings.[64]

Involvement of Pakistan[edit]

See also: Attribution of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and Pakistan and state terrorism

Various theories were put forward as to why the attack occurred. Some of these directly implicated the government of Pakistan in the attack, its military and the Pakistani ISI intelligence agency, in collaboration with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) organisation. Others fully exonerated these entities, believing that the attacks were conducted by people operating independently. As of December 2010, opinion holds that the LeT most probably was behind the attacks.

Independent 'non-state actors' theory[edit]As late as 3 December 2008, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistani officials declared that they had seen no evidence that the Mumbai attackers were fromPakistan, and that they did not believe the attackers were from Pakistan.[65] Later, they maintained that the attackers were "non-state actors" unconnected with the Pakistani military or ISI.[66]

ISI/LeT Operation: agents provocateurs or rogues?[edit]"There is no doubt the terrorist attacks in Mumbai were perpetrated by individuals who came from Pakistan and whose controllers are in Pakistan."

— Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee[62]

"Given the sophistication and military precision of the attack, it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan."

— Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh[67]

Many reports confirmed that the terrorists had been trained, supported and directly sent by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an organisation which was originally established by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate. LeT and ISI sources continued categorically to deny any involvement, although there was evidence to the contrary.

On 2 December, investigations reported by the press alleged that Zakiur Rahman (alsoknown as Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi), the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba, had trained the Mumbai terrorists "under the aegis of a junior ISI major" as part of a plan originally conceived by General Ashfaq Kiani, then head of the ISI. Gen. Kiani shortly thereafter became chief of the Pakistan Army. Such allegations raised the question of how much control the Pakistani government had over its military and ISI activities, and how much control the military and ISI had over the paramilitary groups they trained and equipped.[53][54]

The reported goal of the original plan was to train insurgents to target the Indian-controlled territory of Kashmir. Two months prior to the attacks in Mumbai, this plan was officially scrapped by the Pakistani military. Three different theories were put forward to account for the change of direction of the operation following this decision.

Rogue independent LeT operation theory[edit]This theory held that after a planned ISI/LeT operation against Kashmir was cancelled, the LeT operation went rogue and the organizers of the operation then

independently allied themselves with Al Qaeda. The operation was allegedly taken over by the Pakistani militant Harkat-ul-Jihad, working with Al Qaeda along the Afghan border. It was after this that the plans were radically redrawn to become an attack on Mumbai.[54] Under this scenario, the cancellation of plans by the Pakistani government forced a radical transformation of the operation from one aimed at Kashmir to one aimed at Mumbai instead. Therefore, the Pakistani military and ISI were not responsible for the attacks.[68]

Rogue element ISI/LeT operation theory[edit]In this theory, continued military and ISI connections to the operations were through agents who were operating without the authorisation of the Pakistani central military and intelligence command and were thus also rogue elements. The motive here was to provoke a confrontation with India, which would be seen as an act of Islamic Pakistani strength, in contrast to the politically-weak actions of Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari.[69]

Clandestine ISI/LeT operation theory[edit]A third scenario held that it was an ISI/LeT operation directed to use LeT agents provocateurs against Mumbai, independently and clandestinely funded and supported by the Pakistani military or the ISI without the knowledge or approval of the civilian Pakistani government. This postulated the existence of a long-term plan to attack Mumbai, and was based upon the evidence of an operative, Faheen Ahmed Ansari, who was arrested in February 2008. Under this scenario, the attack was planned at least as early as Ansari's reconnaissance mission to Mumbai in late 2007.[70] Under thistheory, ISI continued to be involved in the planning and operations, even after formal cancellation of the plan involving terrorist attacks against Indian-controlled Kashmir, although the operation may have been assigned to a lower-level ISI official.

Mumbai serial train blasts investigationsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The following is the account given by the Mumbai Police Anti-Terrorist Squad of the investigation of the July 11, 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts which killed 209 people and injured over 700. A series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, the capital of Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains plying the Western line of the Suburban Railway network. The convicts have been punished. 5 were sentenced to death and 7 were sentenced to life in prison.

11 July 2006Mumbai Train Bombings

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Mumbai Suburban Railway

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Contents

1 The timeline given by the Mumbai Police

o 1.1 March 2006

o 1.2 May 2006

o 1.3 25 June 2006

o 1.4 27 June 2006

o 1.5 8–10 July

o 1.6 9–10 July

o 1.7 11 July 2006

2 Investigations (Timeline)

o 2.1 Mammoth Task

o 2.2 The First Steps

o 2.3 The Cooker Handles

o 2.4 Breakthrough

o 2.5 Tracing the RDX

o 2.6 The Nemesis

3 Police Accusations

4 Aftermaths

5 References

6 External links

The timeline given by the Mumbai Police[edit]

March 2006[edit]The conspiracy is hatched. LeT's Azam Cheema masterminds the blasts at his mansion in Bahawalpur with two modules of SIMI and LeT and their leaders. 11

May 2006[edit]50 persons are sent to their training camp in Bahawalpur. They are trained to make bombs, fire guns and resist interrogation.

25 June 2006[edit]LeT infiltrates bombers. Kamal Ansari(the prime accused) transports two Pakistanis via Nepal border, Abdul Majid transports five via Bangladesh border and unknown man escorst four from Kachchh-(Gujarat)

27 June 2006[edit]The 11 men are lodged in 4 different places in Mumbai suburbs. Two lodged in Malad, four in Bandra, two in Borivali and three in Mumbra.

8–10 July[edit]Ehsan Ullah transports 15 to 20 kg of RDX from Pakistan via Kandla. Ammonium nitrate bought in Mumbai. 8 cookers purchased from 2 different shops in Santa Cruz.

9–10 July[edit]Bombs made in Md. Ali's flat in Govandi. Each cooker filled with 2-2.5 kg RDX and 3.5–4 kg ammonium nitrate. Transported to Sheikh Bandras home.

11 July 2006[edit]Terrorists divide themselves into seven groups, two Indians and one Pakistani. Each group carries one pressure cooker in black Rexine bag, covered with newspapers. Planters get off at Churchgate station and use the subway that connects the platforms to board train.

Investigations (Timeline)[edit]

Mammoth Task[edit]Police started from scratch as there were no clues on the site, all the clues they had were seven charred train compartments and the knowledge that ammonium nitrate was used.

The First Steps[edit]ATS Chief KPS Raghuvanshi split officers into seven teams for the seven blasts. Sought RAW and IB inputs. Police detained over 400 people from Mumbai suburbs with no success.

The Cooker Handles[edit]Police sift through blast sites and find pressure cooker handles and parts of aluminiumlids in all the seven compartments, Shops from where cookers were sold traced.

Breakthrough[edit]First success came on 18 July, when police intercept calls from Mumtaz Chowdhury to brother in law, Kamal Ahmed Ansar at Basupatti, Bihar.

Tracing the RDX[edit]Cotton swab method reveals Faisal Sheikh's house in Bandra which was used to store bombs.

The Nemesis[edit]Kamal Ansari and Ehtesham module was unearthed by ATS. This unveiled the moduleled by Faisal Sheikh. Mastermind Raheel Sheikh still missing.

Alleged Accused:

So far 13 people from across India have been arrested and charges have been framed against them.

6 April 2013

IM co-founder Sadiq Sheikh declared hostile witness by defenceadvocates.[1]

Police Accusations[edit]

The Indian Police had initially suspected that the blasts were masterminded by the banned SIMI and carried out by the LeT with substantial help from the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI. When the Mumbai Police Chief, AN Roy, made the above allegations, and reiterated that there was good evidence of the ISI's hand in it. However, he said that they would need more evidence to prove the fact in a court of law.

Police have said that majority of the Indian conspirators in the blasts have been arrested. 2 have escaped to Pakistan. Also, one Indian conspirator died in the blast, whose body had remained unidentified since the blasts.

Police have also stated that out of the 11 Pakistanis involved, 2 were gunned down in an encounter in North Mumbai on 21 August. Police say they have evidence and locations of all the other 9, who they say are in Pakistan.

Aftermaths[edit]

Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan soured after the allegations, with Pakistan denying all the allegations as "baseless" and saying it "definitely" won't handover any suspect to India. India's PM has also repeatedly said there is "concrete" evidence against Pakistan and it will be presented to them. Indian Home Ministry officials have also vociferously backed up that claim. Also, an Indo-Pak "joint anti-terror mechanism" had been signed between the Indian PM and Pakistani President in Cuba in September 2006, under which the two countries agreed to "mutually combat terrorism". The Indian PM has repeatedly said that Pakistan's response to the evidencepresented by India will be a "litmus test to their commitment to the joint anti-terror mechanism and its efforts to combat terrorism." However, most Indian analysts have lambasted the joint-anti terror mechanism saying it is a "farce"

Reactions to the 2008 Mumbai attacksFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Candle light vigils were held in the following days.

Reactions to the 2008 Mumbai attacks were on the local, national and international levels. Political reactions in Mumbai and throughout India included a range of resignations and political changes. Other reactions included condemnation of the attacks by an Indian Muslim organisation and Naxalites. International reactions to the attacks was widespread, with many countries and international organisations condemning the attacks and expressing their condolences to the civilian victims.

Media coverage highlighted the use of new media and internet social-networking tools(including Twitter and Flickr) in spreading information about the attacks, observing that internet coverage was often faster than more-traditional media sources.

Contents

1 India

o 1.1 Criticism of politicians and resignations

o 1.2 Criticism of rescue operation

o 1.3 Indian Muslim organisations

o 1.4 Demand for self-defense

o 1.5 Tribute to victims

2 International reactions

o 2.1 Supranational

o 2.2 Religious communities and organisations

o 2.3 States

2.3.1 Support

2.3.2 General

3 Travel

4 Media coverage

5 References

India[edit]

See also: Aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks

In a televised address Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India would “go after” individuals and organisations behind the terrorist attacks, which were “well-planned

with external linkages”.[1] In addition, the attacks were "intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high-profile targets and indiscriminately killing innocent foreigners", Singh said in a televised address to the nation.[2] Leader of the opposition L K Advani asked the people of India to stay united during the emergency.[3] He also said, "We will take the strongest possible measures to ensure that there is norepetition of such terrorist acts".[4]

Criticism of politicians and resignations[edit]Indians criticised their political leaders after the attacks, contending that their bickering and ineptitude were at least partly responsible. The Times of India noted on its front page that “Our politicians fiddle as innocents die".[5] Anger with the political class in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks boiled over with slain NSG commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father shoving Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan.[6] Public furor was further exacerbated with Achutanandan's statement in a television interview that "if it had not been Sandeep's house, not even a dog would have gone there",[7] which was posted online.[8][dubious – discuss] After this became controversial the chief minister issued a written apology, stating that his remarks were misunderstood.[original research?]

On 30 November Minister for Home Affairs Shivraj Patil resigned, taking moral responsibility for the security lapse. After his resignation, P. Chidambaram was made Union Minister for Home Affairs[9][10]and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took over the Finance Ministry from Chidambaram. India's National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan also offered to resign the same day, but Singh did not accept his resignation.[11]

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh also resigned[why?] on 1 December 2008,[12] and was replaced a few days later by Ashok Chavan. On 1 December Deputy CM R. R. Patil resigned whenNationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar asked him to tender his resignation[13] and he was replaced by Chhagan Bhujbal. Patil was under pressure to resign after commenting on the attacks that "badebade deshon mein chhote cheez hote rehte hai" (small things happen in big countries).[citation needed]

Criticism of rescue operation[edit]NSG commandos based in Mehram Nagar, Palam Airport, Delhi took 10 hours to reach the sites.[14][15] They were ready at 01:00, but had to wait three hours (until 03:15) for an aircraft to arrive fromChandigarh when the policy was that a plane be at Palam permanently. The NSG commandos landed at Mumbai Airport at 05:15, but

had to wait an hour for the Bombay police to arrange BEST buses for them. They reached the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Trident Hotel at 07:00, but initially were not given detailed maps of the buildings.[14] The operations in the Taj Mahal hotel and Nariman House were conducted under the glare of the media, which may have assisted the terrorists by removing the element of surprise.[16]

Indian Muslim organisations[edit]An Indian Muslim organisation, the Indian Muslim Council, refused to bury the nine attackers in South Mumbai's Marine Lines Bada Qabrastan (Big Graveyard). They also sent messages to other Muslim organisations in India asking them to refrain from burying them. The council said it was trying to send a message to all cemeteries in India that none of the bodies should be buried on Indian soil.[17][18][19][20]

Javed Anand, a writer and activist said, "They (attackers) claim to be doing this in the name of Islam. We have to tell them, 'Not in our name'".[21] The organisation also conducted prayers for peace and harmony.[22]

Demand for self-defense[edit]See also: Gun politics in India

The Mumbai attacks left the corporate sector of India angry; vulnerable sectors wanted to be armed. In addition, a meeting convened by the Karnataka government with industry heads led to demands from industry to be allowed to purchase automaticweapons for their private security firms and the right to bear arms.[23]

Tribute to victims[edit]This section requires expansion. (December 2011)

Naxalites (who are waging an insurgency in parts of India) gave a gun salute to the victims of Mumbai attack. According to the Times of India, this gesture marked a significant shift in their policy.[24]

International reactions[edit]

The Mumbai attacks elicited political responses from around the world, largely expressing condemnation for the acts of terrorism and condolences for the relatives of those killed.[2][25][26]

Supranational[edit]

Commonwealth of Nations - Head of the Commonwealth

of Nations Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement that read: "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the attacks that occurred in Mumbai. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died and with those who have been injured".[27]

EU and France Nicolas Sarkozy, in his roles of

both President of France and President of the European Council, said: "I strongly condemn the indiscriminate violence that hit your country through this series of ugly and odious terrorist acts. In this sad moment, I wish to give my sincerest condolences to the families of the innocent victims of these reprehensible attacks and express my sympathy and my wish to the injured for rapid recovery".[2][28] High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said: "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous terrorist attacks throughout the city of Mumbai. I convey my most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and my sympathy to the Indian authorities. To those who were injured, Iwish a speedy recovery. These acts show once again the need for the international community to stand united against terrorism and fight it with determination".[2]

Organisation of the Islamic Conference – A spokesperson

for the OIC expressed regret over the deaths of innocent people due to the attacks; the spokesperson conveyed heartfelt condolences to the Indian Government and the families of the victims and wished for the speedy recovery of the wounded. The spokesperson stressed that such violent actsrun counter to human values and they cannot be justified.[29]

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said: "I

condemn in the strongest possible terms the mindless and

indiscriminate terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Attacking innocent people, tourists and patients in hospitals is despicable and cowardly. On behalf of the Alliance, I am relaying the sincerest words of solidarity and sympathy to the Indian authorities, to Indian people and especially families of the victims. NATO, as part of the international community, is determined to spare no effort to fight the scourge of terrorism which should have no place in the 21st century."[2]

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson

stated: "The Secretary-General condemns the rash of shootingsand blasts in Mumbai today, which killed and wounded a large number of people. Such violence is totally unacceptable. The Secretary-General reiterates his conviction that no cause or grievance can justify indiscriminate attacks against civilians. He calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice swiftly. The Secretary-General sends his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and the wounded and expresses his solidarity with the people and Government of India.."[2][30] The 15 members of the United Nation Security Council issued a statement saying, "The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of India, underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of thesereprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. All acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation".[31]

Religious communities and organisations[edit]

Anglican Communion – Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrote to the High Commissioner of India, Shiv ShankarMukherjee, the next day expressing his shock and outrage and offering (on behalf of the Anglican Communion) prayers for those who had lost loved ones, for the injured and for all those caring for them or dealing with the ongoing siege: "People everywhere stand in solidarity with the innocent and in condemnation of those who would destroy innocent lives out ofevil and misguided motives".[32]