|
They are the only militant outfits capable of such an attack
Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are the only militant outfits capable of carrying out Fidayeen (suicide) attacks in the city. It is not the handiwork of Indian Mujahideen, claimed the police.
A senior police said a specially trained squad carried out the attack, which began at 9.40 pm yesterday. The use of AK assault rifles and grenades hint at a highly specialised group, that may have been trained in Pakistan or Bangladesh.
The intelligence failure can be gauged by the fact that ATS chief Joint Commissioner of Police Hemant Karkera held a press conferance at the police headquarters barely an hour before the attacks. Anti-Terrorism Squad sources said prima facie evidence seem to suggest the attackers were part of a suicide squad backed by operatives. Officials have not rules out the possibility of the use of RDX.
A senior police officer, who did not want to be named, said the attacks were very similar to the fidayeen attacks in Kashmir and that it had been planned well ahead.
The blasts and attacks at Leopold and Taj point to the fact that the terrrorissts had planned to spread terror among foreign tourists - Colaba and the hotels â Trident and Taj are hotspots.
Incidentally, today's attacks in Mumbai coincide with the arrest of Rahel Ata-ul-Rahman Shaikh's arrest in London. Shaikh is accused of being one of the main conspirators in the 7/11 blasts. | 
