Rescue operations to finish in hours

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 11-28-2008 17:21

The Indian army has just released nearly 100 guests trapped in the besieged sites in Mumbai.

Government officials say rescue operations will be wrapped up within hours.

Indian National Security Guards (NSG) commandos prepare to attack from the rooftop of Nariman House in Mumbai. (AFP/Prakash Singh)

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, said the attacks were plotted overseas.

At the Oberoi Hotel, one of the three sites seized by terrorists, more than two dozen hotel guests walked out and were escorted into waiting cars after a 36-hour ordeal.

Released Hotel Guest, said, "We are definitely grateful for the work done by all the Indian forces that were engaged in this."

Police said 93 guests had been evacuated in total and the army insisted their operations are almost over.

Lt. General N. Thamburaj, Indian Army, said, "I would like to conclude by saying that it's just a matter of a few hours that we'll be able to wrap up things."

Elsewhere in Mumbai, two loud explosions and gunfire rang out at the luxury Taj Mahal hotel, which authorities had insisted was cleared of gunmen on Thursday night. Commandos traded fire with Islamist militants at the hotel, with the gunmen still thought to be holding a handful of foreign hostages.

Army commandos earlier mounted an attack on the headquarters of the orthodox Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch. Gunshots and explosions were heard from within the building as forces cleared it floor by floor. It was not immediately clear if there were any hostages inside the building.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blamed the attacks on militant groups based outside the country.

The well-coordinated strikes by small bands of gunmen starting on Wednesday night and have left the city in a state of shock.

Their main targets appeared to be Americans, Britons and Jews, though most of the dead seemed to be Indians and foreign tourists caught in the random gunfire.

And this assault was a step up, both in size and sophistication, from the terror attacks that have plagued India in recent years.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei