Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal Hotel Siege Ends
It's finally over! Inside the blacked out Taj Mahal Hotel, hallways were littered with bloodied bodies. Gunmen had control, and were holding 200 people hostage. Every time the commandos got close, terrorists hurled grenades and sprayed bullets, forcing them back. Then finally, the special forces made it to the final firefight. And the end has come for the terrorists- once again!
Thirty three hours after the assault began, Indian Army commandos decided it was time to go back in -- only to be met by terrorists firing mercilessly, throwing grenades and continuously switching positions. The sound of gunfire ricocheted through the hotel's atrium, making it difficult to discern where shots were coming from. Through it all, the commandos walked through pitch-black halls, trying to navigate the partially destroyed hotel without knowing the layout.
The terrorists knew more about the building than did the police or commandos.
Friday morning, local time, the battle with the terrorists at the Taj Mahal reached a head with a final firefight at the room where the 200 hostages were held captive, the commando, who was wearing a scarf and glasses to conceal his identity, said at a news conference. When the gunfire ceased, commandos entered the room and freed all 200 hostages. The difficulties for the commandos (known as the Black Cats) were apparent from the beginning.
The unidentified commando said, "We did not know the layout of the hotel. There was one person on the hotel staff who was helping to guide us around." It seems the terrorists did far more preparation. More than 200 people were killed and twice that number injured.
The terrorists' final siege ended Saturday morning — two-and-a-half days after the attacks began — but the efforts to determine who carried out the attacks have only begun. Officials said they believe just 10 well-prepared gunmen were behind the attacks. "Nine were killed and one was captured," Maharshta state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told reporters. "We are interrogating him." Another official said the captured attacker is Pakistani and the gunmen were constantly in touch with a foreign country.
Let the blame-shifting, finger-pointing, and accusations begin- as the siege ends!
About the Author
As a spiritual-futurist, I interpret current events in light of possible macro-universal forces at play leading up to 2012, but not limited to it.
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