Even as the special forces and the police succeeded in freeing 200 people who were holed up inside the Oberoi and Trident Hotels for the third day, four Israeli and United States nationals held hostage in a south Mumbai Jewish religious centre were found dead when commandos stormed the building late on Friday evening.
A National Security Guards officer in the rank of a Major, who was not officially identified, gave his life in the attempt to rescue the four hostages held by terrorists at the Chabad-Lukovich religious centre in Nariman House in the Colaba area. The two terrorists who had taken over the centre were also killed.
NSG commandos had engaged in periodic exchanges of fire through Thursday in the course of efforts to rescue the Nariman House hostages. Early this morning, the NSG used a helicopter to lower commandos on to the roof of Nariman House. Several explosions were heard soon afterwards.
In the evening, the NSG, backed by specialists from the Indian Army’s Engineers Regiment, blew several holes in the building’s walls in an attempt to facilitate access into the premises.
When the NSG entered the building, though, they discovered the bodies of the terrorists and the hostages lying on the second, third and fourth floors of the five-storey building.
The dead hostages were officially identified as Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, the head of the Chabad-Lukovich centre, and his Israeli wife Rivka Holtzberg. Sandra Samuel, a Mumbai resident who worked as a cook for the Holtzenberg family, had helped their child, Zvi Moshe, escape the building soon after the terrorist attack began.
Earlier, NSG commandos succeeded in eliminating two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who had taken positions inside the Oberoi Hotel and Trident Hotel in the Nariman Point area. The NSG operation opened the way for the rescue of upwards of 200 guests and visitors who were trapped in the adjoining hotels during the fighting. Mumbai Police officials said the survivors included nationals of over 20 countries.
The police recovered the bodies of 24 people killed in the fighting, most of whom are thought to have died when terrorists burst into the building firing from assault rifles and lobbing grenades.
Six other bodies were recovered from the buildings earlier. NSG officials said two assault rifles, a pistol and several unexploded grenades were recovered from the two terrorists killed during the fighting. Around midnight, the NSG was still engaged in sanitising the building and conducting checks for hidden explosives.
Maharashtra Director-General of Police A.N. Roy said 155 civilians have so far died in the terror attacks which began on Friday. Another 318 people have been injured. However, speaking to journalists in the evening, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said the final death toll could go up to 200.
Even as the special forces and the police succeeded in freeing 200 people who were holed up inside the Oberoi and Trident Hotels for the third day, four Israeli and United States nationals held hostage in a south Mumbai Jewish religious centre were found dead when commandos stormed the building late on Friday evening.
A National Security Guards officer in the rank of a Major, who was not officially identified, gave his life in the attempt to rescue the four hostages held by terrorists at the Chabad-Lukovich religious centre in Nariman House in the Colaba area. The two terrorists who had taken over the centre were also killed.
NSG commandos had engaged in periodic exchanges of fire through Thursday in the course of efforts to rescue the Nariman House hostages. Early this morning, the NSG used a helicopter to lower commandos on to the roof of Nariman House. Several explosions were heard soon afterwards.
In the evening, the NSG, backed by specialists from the Indian Army’s Engineers Regiment, blew several holes in the building’s walls in an attempt to facilitate access into the premises.
When the NSG entered the building, though, they discovered the bodies of the terrorists and the hostages lying on the second, third and fourth floors of the five-storey building.
The dead hostages were officially identified as Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, the head of the Chabad-Lukovich centre, and his Israeli wife Rivka Holtzberg. Sandra Samuel, a Mumbai resident who worked as a cook for the Holtzenberg family, had helped their child, Zvi Moshe, escape the building soon after the terrorist attack began.
Earlier, NSG commandos succeeded in eliminating two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who had taken positions inside the Oberoi Hotel and Trident Hotel in the Nariman Point area. The NSG operation opened the way for the rescue of upwards of 200 guests and visitors who were trapped in the adjoining hotels during the fighting. Mumbai Police officials said the survivors included nationals of over 20 countries.
The police recovered the bodies of 24 people killed in the fighting, most of whom are thought to have died when terrorists burst into the building firing from assault rifles and lobbing grenades.
Six other bodies were recovered from the buildings earlier. NSG officials said two assault rifles, a pistol and several unexploded grenades were recovered from the two terrorists killed during the fighting. Around midnight, the NSG was still engaged in sanitising the building and conducting checks for hidden explosives.
Maharashtra Director-General of Police A.N. Roy said 155 civilians have so far died in the terror attacks which began on Friday. Another 318 people have been injured. However, speaking to journalists in the evening, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said the final death toll could go up to 200.
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