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60-hour Mumbai siege ends in bloodbath; all Chabad hostages killed By Haaretz Correspondents and AP , By Anshel Pfeffer and Barak Ravid MUMBAI, India - A 60-hour rampage of terror across India's financial capital ended yesterday when commandos killed the last three gunmen holed up in a luxury hotel. At least 195 people died, including at least five Israelis. After the final siege ended, adoring crowds surrounded six buses near the hotel carrying weary, unshaven commandos, shaking their hands and giving them flowers. The commandos said they had not slept since the ordeal began. Advertisement Officials said they believe only 10 well-prepared gunmen were behind the attacks that brought this city of 18 million to its knees for three days. "Nine were killed and one was captured," Maharshta state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told reporters. "We are interrogating him." A previously unknown Muslim group - whose name, Deccan Mujahideen, suggests origins inside India - claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian officials, however, pointed their fingers at Pakistan. Deshmukh's deputy, R.R. Patil, said the one captured gunman was a Pakistani, Mohammad Ajmal Qasam, and the terrorists were "constantly in touch with a foreign country," which he declined to name. The gunmen had sophisticated equipment and used GPS, mobile and satellite phones to communicate, he added. Islamabad angrily denied involvement and initially promised to send its spy chief to India to assist in the investigation. But it withdrew that offer yesterday, saying it would send a lower-ranked official instead. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari blamed the about-face on a miscommunication with India. However, the reversal followed sharp criticism from some opposition politicians and a cool response from the Pakistani army, which controls the spy agency. The attacks killed 18 foreigners, including the Israelis and six Americans (there is some overlap between these two groups, since several of the dead were dual citizens). At least 20 Indian soldiers and police were also among the dead. All of the known Israeli victims were killed at the Chabad center, known as Nariman House. The Foreign Ministry reported last night that six of the nine bodies found at the center have thus far been identified. They include five Israelis and a Jewish woman from Mexico. Among the dead were Chabad Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, both Israeli-American dual citizens. Their son, Moshe, who turned two yesterday, was rescued Thursday by an employee who scooped him up as she fled the building. Also killed at Nariman House were kashrut inspectors Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum and Ben Zion Korman, and a 60-year-old Israeli tourist, Yocheved Orpaz. In addition, the ministry said, three Israelis known to be in India have not yet made contact. Two of these were not known to have been in Mumbai, but the third was definitely staying in the Chabad House until a few days ago. About 300 people were wounded in the violence that started when heavily armed assailants attacked 10 sites across the city Wednesday night. The carnage began at about 9:20 P.M. that night, when gunmen sprayed the Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station. For the next two hours, there was an attack roughly every 15 minutes - the Chabad center, a tourist restaurant, one hotel, then another, and two attacks on hospitals. As of last night, the death toll was at 195, making this the deadliest attack in India since serial bombings in Mumbai killed 257 people in 1993. But officials said the toll was likely to rise as more bodies are found in the hotels. Indian security officers said gunmen reached the city by sea. Yesterday morning, orange flames and black smoke engulfed the landmark 565-room Taj Mahal Hotel as Indian forces ended the siege there in a hail of gunfire. In the most dramatic of Friday's counterstrikes, masked Indian commandos rappelled from a helicopter onto the rooftop of the Chabad center at about 7:30 A.M. For nearly 12 hours, explosions and gunfire erupted from the five-story building as the commandos fought their way downward, while thousands of people gathered behind barricades in the streets to watch. At one point, Indian forces fired a rocket at the building. The force of the explosions destroyed the top two floors almost entirely. When Israeli representatives were finally allowed to enter the building, at about 9 P.M. on Friday, they found that several of the slain hostages had been bound before being killed. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Dancing on graves It is hard to believe that Pakistan is behind the Mumbai carnage. 'Tis the season Bethlehem mayor says Christmas season will cap a boom year for tourism.

Read & React Two Israelis in Mumbai remain unaccounted for Responses: 75 Israeli experts: Slow op meant 'no chance' for Chabad house captives in Mumbai Responses: 106 Bush to Olmert: Why are you giving Syria the Golan for nothing? Responses: 75 Is 'the most dangerous man in the world' behind the Mumbai attacks? Responses: 14 More Headlines 00:29 Two Israelis still missing after Mumbai attack 20:08 Olmert: No doubt Mumbai attack targeted Jewish institutions 22:11 India enters 'war' alert, blaming Pakistan for Mumbai terror 21:24 U.S. rabbi: I spoke to Mumbai terrorist on slain rabbi's phone 01:48 Police victim ID unit leaves for India, as two Israelis still missing 01:03 Treasury officials to PM's advisers: Your economic plan is illegal 00:50 Picasso sketchings sell low, as Jerusalem auction feels pinch of cash crisis 16:55 IDF soldiers get cash reward for refusing to evict settlers 19:03 Cabinet approves releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners in gesture to Abbas 14:07 Qassam strikes residential area in central Sderot 20:11 Bethlehem mayor: Christmas season will cap boom year for tourism 22:04 Olmert to bring for cabinet vote plan to fortify Gaza-area homes 17:57 Iran proposes building joint nuclear plants with Arab neighbors 22:20 Rabin assassin declares hunger strike to protest prison conditions 18:59 Hamas blocks haj pilgrims granted visas by PA from leaving Gaza 20:27 Pope praises Nazi-era pontiff who Jews say turned blind eye to Holocaust Previous Editions Select Day 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov

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