Ethan Rhodes
On November 26, 2008, ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation, carried out a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. The attacks, which lasted for three days, resulted in the deaths of 175 people, including nine of the attackers, and injured more than 300. During the 60-hour siege, the gunmen targeted multiple sites, including two hospitals, hotels, a cafe, and a railway station. One of the hospitals that treated the injured, the Bombay Hospital, was located just 2 km from the incident site and admitted nearly 114 patients during the attack.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 26 November 2008 |
| Location | Mumbai, India |
| Perpetrators | 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba |
| Deaths | 175 (including 9 attackers) |
| Injuries | 300+ |
| Targets | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, a lane behind the Times of India building, St. Xavier's College, Mazagaon, a taxi at Vile Parle, two hospitals, and a theatre |
| Weapons | Automatic weapons and hand grenades |
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What You'll Learn
- The 2008 Mumbai attacks were carried out by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba
- The attacks lasted 60 hours, leaving 175 people dead and over 300 injured
- The terrorists targeted civilians at numerous sites, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station
- The Indian government refrained from amassing troops at the Pakistan border, instead focusing on diplomacy
- The attacks exposed loopholes in India's security system, with subsequent reports indicating ignored warnings
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were carried out by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba
On November 26, 2008, 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation, carried out 12 shooting and bombing attacks over four days across Mumbai, India. The group arrived by sea, split into smaller groups, hijacked vehicles, and attacked multiple locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station, the Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace hotels, the Leopold Cafe, the Cama and St. George hospitals, the Nariman House Jewish outreach centre, the Metro Cinema, and a lane behind the Times of India building. The attacks resulted in a total of 175 fatalities, including nine of the attackers, and more than 300 injuries.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation founded in the late 1980s as the militant wing of Markaz-ud-Dawa-wal-Irshad, an Islamist organisation. The group has been implicated in numerous terrorist attacks in India, including the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed 209 people and injured over 700, and the 2011 Pahalgam terror attack.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks, also known as the 26/11 attacks, were planned and directed by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants inside Pakistan. The 10 attackers, all Pakistani nationals, received prolonged guerrilla warfare training in LeT camps and were armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades. They targeted civilians at various sites in South Mumbai, resulting in massive property damage worth over $1 billion.
The sole surviving attacker, Ajmal Kasab, confessed that the terrorists were members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and were controlled from Pakistan. Pakistani authorities later confirmed that LeT plotted and financed the attacks from camps in Karachi and Thatta. The involvement of rogue officials from the Pakistani Army and the ISI in providing support to Lashkar-e-Taiba was also revealed. The Mumbai attacks exposed loopholes in India's security system and strained ties between India and Pakistan.
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The attacks lasted 60 hours, leaving 175 people dead and over 300 injured
On November 26, 2008, India's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai, was subjected to a series of coordinated terrorist attacks. The 60-hour siege left 175 people dead, including nine attackers, and injured more than 300. The attacks, also known as the 26/11 attacks, were carried out by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation.
The terrorists targeted civilians at numerous sites in South Mumbai, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and lanes behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. In addition, there were mass shootings and explosions at Mazagaon in the port area and in a taxi at Vile Parle.
The Cama Hospital, a women and children's hospital, was attacked by two gunmen. However, the quick-thinking staff locked the wards to save the patients. Police entered the hospital and engaged in a gunfight with the attackers, during which a senior officer was wounded.
The attacks exposed weaknesses in India's security system, revealing a lack of preparedness for this type of urban warfare with multiple targets and high casualties. There was a delay in the deployment of India's National Security Guards, and a lack of coordination between authorities in New Delhi and Maharashtra state. The aftermath of the attacks led to the creation of new institutions and legal mechanisms to combat terrorism, including the National Investigation Agency, a federal counter-terrorism group.
The 26/11 attacks shocked the world and soured ties between India and Pakistan. The Indian government focused on building international support and successfully lobbied the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a group linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
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The terrorists targeted civilians at numerous sites, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station
On November 26, 2008, 10 heavily armed militants of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out 12 shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India. The 60-hour siege left 175 people dead, including nine of the attackers, and more than 300 injured. The terrorists targeted civilians at numerous sites, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST), also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, was attacked by two gunmen, Ismail Khan and Ajmal Kasab. Kasab was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The attack began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles. The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others, with their assault ending at about 22:45. Security forces and emergency services arrived shortly afterward, and announcements were made by a railway announcer, Vishnu Dattaram Zende, alerting passengers to leave the station.
The attack on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station was one of the deadliest attacks on the city, with around 50 people killed and over 100 injured at the station premises. The railway station, being the headquarters of Central Railway and a historic monument, is frequently shown in movies to depict the unrestricted arrival of strangers to the sprawling metropolis.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks, also referred to as the 26/11 attacks, exposed loopholes in the security system that India had in place to deal with this "new brand" of terrorism. Subsequent reports indicated that several intelligence warnings by Indian and US sources had preceded the attacks, but authorities failed to act on them. The attacks also led to the introduction of important new institutions and legal mechanisms to fight terrorism in India.
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The Indian government refrained from amassing troops at the Pakistan border, instead focusing on diplomacy
The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, also known as the 26/11 attacks, were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place across Mumbai, India, from November 26 to 29. The attacks were carried out by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation. A total of 175 people died, including nine of the attackers, and more than 300 were injured.
The Indian government faced fierce domestic pressure to retaliate militarily against Pakistan. However, it chose to exercise strategic restraint and focus on diplomacy instead. This decision was influenced by several factors. Firstly, there were concerns that an Indian military strike would strengthen the Pakistan Army's domestic position and unite Pakistanis behind their military while undermining the civilian leadership. Secondly, there was a fear that if India engaged in military action with Pakistan, China might take advantage and occupy the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh in north-eastern India.
The Indian government opted to build international public support through diplomatic channels and the media. They made a plea to the UN Security Council for sanctions against Jamaat-ud-Dawa, arguing that the group was a front organisation for LeT, which had been banned by Pakistan in 2002. The Security Council imposed sanctions on Jamaat-ud-Dawa and formally declared it a terrorist group. Additionally, emergency legislation was approved by the Indian Parliament to give additional powers to the police and create a national investigation agency.
Shivshankar Menon, India's former national security adviser and foreign secretary during that time, acknowledged in his 2016 book, Choices: Inside the Making of India's Foreign Policy, that his initial instinct was to pursue immediate visible retaliation. However, he concluded that the decision not to retaliate militarily and to focus on diplomatic means was the right one for that time. He warned that if Pakistan mounted another major attack, it would be virtually impossible for any Indian government to refrain from military action.
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The attacks exposed loopholes in India's security system, with subsequent reports indicating ignored warnings
On November 26, 2008, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks took place across Mumbai, India, by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation. The attacks, also known as the 26/11 attacks, exposed loopholes in India's security system, with subsequent reports indicating ignored warnings.
The 26/11 attacks resulted in 175 fatalities, including nine of the attackers, and more than 300 injuries. Eight of the 12 shooting and bombing attacks occurred in South Mumbai, targeting locations such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace, and Cama Hospital. The terrorists were armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades, and the siege at the Taj Mahal Palace continued until the morning of November 29.
The terrorist attacks in Mumbai revealed significant weaknesses in India's security system. Subsequent reports highlighted that several warnings from Indian and U.S. intelligence sources had been disregarded, citing a lack of "actionable intelligence." There was also a notable delay in deploying India's elite National Security Guards, who arrived at the besieged hotels around 10 hours after the initial shootings. Additionally, the lack of coordination between authorities in New Delhi and Maharashtra hindered the crisis response.
The 26/11 attacks prompted fundamental changes to India's security apparatus. The Indian government focused on tightening maritime security, addressing loopholes in the intelligence grid, strengthening the legal framework for counterterrorism, and establishing specialised agencies to investigate terrorist cases. The attacks also marked a turning point in international cooperation with India on security matters, with increased collaboration from Western countries, including the U.S., and efforts to isolate Pakistan and counter LeT-sponsored terrorism.
The Indian Navy was given overall charge of maritime security, and the Indian Coast Guard was tasked with monitoring territorial waters and coordinating with the newly established marine police stations along the coastline. Vessels exceeding 20 meters in length were mandated to have an Automatic Identification System (AIS) to transmit their information. Additionally, the Indian government worked on strengthening the legal framework to combat terrorism and creating special agencies to investigate terrorist cases.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Bombay Hospital was attacked on 26/11. The hospital admitted nearly 114 patients over the course of that night, with at least 46 major and minor surgeries being carried out.
26/11 refers to the date of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The 2008 Mumbai terror attack, also referred to as the 26/11 attacks, was a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008. 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation, carried out 12 shooting and bombing attacks over four days across Mumbai.
The attacks resulted in the deaths of 175 people, including nine of the attackers, with more than 300 injured.
