Suspects in 2008 Terror Attack in Mumbai Face Charges

Mumbai Terror Suspects Charged in Pakistani Courts

7 suspects in the November 2008 terror attacks were charged in a Pakistani court today. The suspects, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Mohammad Younas Anjum, Umar Abjul Wajid, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jameel Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and alleged master mind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi face the death penalty in connecting to the attacks that left 160 people dead. Defense attorney Alyas Saddiqi, who represents the alleged coconspirator Jameel Ahmed, told the media that the suspects where facing charges of terrorism, money laundering, and providing the tools and funding for terrorism. According to the attorney, all the suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The attack in question occurred over four terrifying days starting on November 27^th 2008, when armed men took over several hotel complexes in Mumbai, India. According to Indian officials, the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terror group which the United States accuse of having ties to Osama Bin Laden, planned and carried out the terror plot. It took the Indian army and security officials four days to finally overtake the terrorists and secure the hotel complex. National Security Guards entered the hotels with a rooftop insertion, and then weaved in and out of rooms, searching for gunmen and hostages. The soldiers had to contend with searching over 900 rooms in the hotels. Shortly after the operation started, hostages, rescued by advancing troops, started to exit the hotels unharmed. By the end of the operation one terrorist was captured and nine more lie dead.

It is believed that the attackers entered the city of Mumbai by sea using an inflatable raft to get them to the shore. The terrorists allergy used a hijacked fishing boat to cross the Adriatic sea from Pakistan into India. In total there where ten sites targeted for attack. The men took over three hotels and one Jewish community center. The area was full of tourists, many of whom where foreigners. The lone surviving gunman pointed the finger at the leader of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as being responsible for the attacks.