16 Years Since 26/11: Remembering Heroes Of The Mumbai Terror Attacks

The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday 26 November and lasted until Saturday 29 November 2008.

16th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks

Today marks the 16th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, a terrorist attack of the ten Lashkar-e-Taiba shot up the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Mumbai Chabad House, Nariman House, Cama Hospital and Metro Cinema.

Another 26 foreigners and 20 security force personnel were killed and more than 300 injured in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008. All ten terrorists belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba and the group had entered Mumbai through the sea route from Pakistan.

Indian President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and common people are mourning the death of 166 people in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Though the happened pain is still felt, the spirit of this heroes should help to remember that there were people who risked their own lives to save hundreds of people from death.

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Remembering the Heroes of 26/11

Tukaram Omble

Tukaram Omble the ASI Mumbai police who was martyred during the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai city. Unarmed Mr Omble was killed while he was trying to capture terrorist Ajmal Kasab on the night of November 26, 2008. He was shot dead at Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai but not before Mr Omble had made sure that the terrorist was alive and captured. Mr Ombale was not carrying any weapon but he wrestled with Kasab while holding on to the rifle which was used to arrest him. Kasab fired several times before he was apprehended and the constable was killed by a bullet.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

Major Sandeep had died a martyr while fighting the Pakistan trained Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, leading a team of NSG commandos to neutralize terrorists holed up in the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, was killed in action.He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peace time gallantry award

Hemant Karkare

Hemant Karkare, who was the chief of the Anti Terrorist Squad, a 1982 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, died in an encounter near Cama Hospital along with other IPS officer Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar during the November 26 terror attacks.

Karkare (54) was shot dead when he was leading an operation at the Taj Hotel for countering terrorists who had taken many people as hostage. He received three shots in his chest.

Mallika Jagad

Mallika Jagad the banquet manager of Taj Palace Hotel during the 26/11 attack was quick enough to safeguard the customers. She and her team closed the doors and switched off the lights and invited all the participants to remain silent. Mallika did not flinch even when blast and smoke created chaos; she went around calming the guests telling them it was smoke. When fear intensified with scream for help, she kept calm until she found out that the Army had come to help.

Karambir Singh Kang

During the 26/11 attack on Taj Hotel in Mumbai, General Manager of the hotel Karambir Kang also had his wife and sons stuck inside the building and the three of them never escaped alive. However, this strength did not fail him in this disaster, and he spent day and night to help the staff and the security forces to rescue everyone. He was not there at the start of the attack but he quickly ran back to the hotel and was part of the team that helped evacuate hundreds of people.

Thomas Varghese

Thomas Varghese who used to work as a senior waiter at Taj’s Wasabi restaurant was another real hero of the 26/11 attacks. In the course of firing shots, he instructed the guests to bend down and later evacuate them. Varghese closed the restaurant after making sure all the people in the restaurant had left. The terrorists killed him dead in the alley as he offered his life for others.

26/11 Mumbai attack: Timeline 

Lashker-e-Taiba from Pakistan attacked people in Mumbai with hand grenades and automatic guns on civilians in places such as a theater, two hospitals, Leopold Café and the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station. The violence continued at three places where hostages were held including a Jewish outreach center, Nariman House and two hotels, the Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

Four terrorists and six hostages died when the siege of Nariman House was over on November 28. The following day was the last day of the operation in Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident. Out of the ten terrorists, nine were shot dead and one was arrested.

The Mumbai terrorists boarded a cargo ship painted in the Pakistani flag then hijacked an Indian fishing vessel, and then killed all the crew members. They had to use inflatable dinghies to get to Sassoon Docks and Badhwar Park because their destination is near the Gateway of India after they landed in the shores of Mumbai.

To effect their plans, the terrorists formed subgroups to conduct their operations in different location. Among the attackers, there was Kasab, who was later indicted for more offences, including murder and waging an armed rebellion. Kasab had made confessional statements to the crimes but had again recanted them.

26/11 Mumbai attack: Key arrests

One of the many reasons that saw his trial halted was a delay to verify his age for trial, which was initiated in April 2009. Kasab entered a guilty plea in July and later withdrew it. He was convicted in May 2010 and was sentenced to death penalty. He was executed two years later.

Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari was arrested by Delhi police in June 2012 on the grounds that he helped and guided the terrorists during the attack. Further, in January 2013, another Pakistani-American David C. Headley was given 35 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty in 2011 to aiding the terrorists plan the attack.