17 years of 26/11: Remembering Horrors of Mumbai Terror Attack
Commonly referred to as 26/11, these coordinated assaults by a group of 10 terrorists sent shockwaves through the nation and the world
New Delhi: This year marks 17 years since terrorists from the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) unleashed mayhem on the streets of India's financial capital, Mumbai, on November 26, 2008.
Commonly referred to as 26/11, these coordinated assaults by a group of 10 terrorists sent shockwaves through the nation and the world. The terrorists had entered Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008, via the sea route and over four days killed 166 people and injured 300 in some of the city’s busiest areas.
The targets were carefully chosen for maximum impact — the Taj and Oberoi hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre at Nariman House, Cama Hospital, Metro Cinema and Leopold Cafe — places frequented by foreign nationals and Mumbai’s working population.
The scars left by the attack continue to haunt survivors and families who lost loved ones. Bullet marks at Leopold Cafe and Nariman House, the bust of Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble who died capturing the lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Kasab, and the streets of South Mumbai keep the memory of the tragedy alive.
Nine LeT terrorists were killed, while Kasab was arrested. In May 2010, Kasab was handed the death penalty and was executed two years later in a maximum-security prison in Pune.
The 26/11 attack, especially in the wake of the recent Delhi blast on November 10, serves as a reminder of the need for strengthened national security and India’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, NSG Mumbai will organise a solemn memorial and pledge ceremony themed ‘Neverever’ at the Gateway of India today, honouring the martyrs, survivors and all victims of the 26/11 attacks. The event reaffirms a collective resolve that such an incident must never recur.
A dedicated memorial zone will display photographs and names of all the fallen, with floral tributes and candles. A concept-based ‘Living Memorial’ will be formed from the wax of homage candles and preserved for future observances. Additionally, 11 colleges and 26 schools across Mumbai will hold pledge-taking ceremonies under the ‘Neverever’ theme to reinforce youth commitment to peace and national security.
As night falls, the Gateway of India will be illuminated in the tricolour with the word ‘Neverever’.
Meanwhile, in a recent development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought a fresh set of details from the United States government regarding 26/11 mastermind Tahawwur Rana through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) process, sources said.
These new queries were raised months after Rana’s interrogation following his extradition to India, and may further aid the investigation into the 2008 Mumbai terror plot.
