Who Could Be Behind Mumbai Attacks?

Mumbai… the city that never sleeps! Mumbai… the business hub and financial capital of India! Mumbai… the backbone of Indian economy! Mumbai, with its iconic landmarks, is a city bustling with life. It was Wednesday, November 26th, 2008, when this crowded city witnessed the most destructive terrorist attacks. The attack started at around 9.20 p.m., when two terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles entered the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and began firing and throwing grenades. The coordinated series of attacks targeted the most crowded places in Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, two five-star hotels, namely Taj Mahal Palace & Tower and the Oberoi Trident, The Leopold Café, Cama Hospital and the police headquarters in South Mumbai. This dreadful war against the terrorists was ended by the Indian security forces on November 29th, 2008. It has been reported that at least 188 people were killed, which included at least 30 foreign nationals. More than 300 people were injured. Now, Mumbai is coming back to its routine busy life. Still the picture is not clear about who could be behind Mumbai attacks?

Who could be behind Mumbai attacks?

The Mumbai terror attacks appear to be well planned, carefully coordinated and involving a large number of attackers. According to the witnesses, the attackers were young South Asian men, speaking in Urdu or Hindi. To the opinion of India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the attacks were probably planned by a group based in a neighboring country. A previously unknown group, namely the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for these attacks in an e-mail sent to news organizations. The analysts are not sure whether the claim is genuine.

The attacks were likely to be carried out by a group, known as the Indian Mujahideen. The name used in the claim suggests that the members of the South Indian offshoot or a cell of the Indian Mujahideen had carried out the attacks. The Indian Mujahideen is an offshoot of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). The Indian Police guess there may be some former members of Bangladeshi militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad in the Indian Mujahideen. In the month of September, the Indian Mujahideen sent an e-mail to Mumbai’s police anti-terrorist squad, accusing them of harassing Muslims. In that e-mail, the group had warned about the deadly attacks. It is clear that the Mumbai attacks were focused on the tourist targets, which included a famous café, a crowded railway station and two luxury hotels. In May, the Indian Mujahideen had threatened to attack the tourist sites in India unless the government stops supporting the United States in the international arena.

The Mumbai attacks involved coordinated attacks by the gunmen on multiple targets. The foreigners were specifically targeted. According to many analysts, these tactics indicate the involvement of Lashkar-e-Toiba in these attacks. The specific targeting in the attacks points to the group that follows ideology and tactics of al Qaeda. A considerable degree of sophistication of the terrorist attacks points to the experienced group like Laskar-e-Toiba. Lashkar-e-Toiba is one of the largest Islamic militant groups in South Asia, which is fighting Indian rule in the Indian state, Kashmir. But Lashkar-e-Toiba had refused being behind these attacks.

All these known organizations are said to be possibly involved in the Mumbai attacks and terrorism. But, the picture is not yet clear. Therefore, at this juncture, it is difficult to say who could be behind Mumbai attacks, unless proper investigations are done.