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The operations against the siege of Mumbai appeared to be nearing last stages with the evacuation of 35 hostages from Trident (Oberoi) hotel but fierce battle was on to eliminate a small band ultras holed up in a Jewish building complex.
"It is just a matter of a few hours before we will be able to wrap up things," Southern Command Chief Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj told reporters a little before noon outside Taj hotel as 35 hostages, including foreigners and a six-month old infant, were successfully rescued from Trident.
The new building of Taj Hotel has been totally flushed out and cleared and handed over to police, he said adding that one terrorist, possibly two, had moved into the adjacent old heritage building.
"We have heard the sound of a woman and a man, giving indications that they are being held hostage," Thamburaj said but added that almost all guests and staff in the hotel have been evacuated.
He conceded that the there were some casualties among the NSG commandos but would not disclose their numbers and whether they were fatal or otherwise saying that operational details would affect the 'mental makeup' of terrorists.
Thamburaj said that operations had to be 'deliberate and slow' to ensure the safety of the hostages, guests and hotel staff. The commandos had been told not to rush things under the 'pressure of media or citizens'.
He said some rooms in Taj are still bolted from inside and people inside are not responding, probably they are scared. "As soon as communication and room services are restored, we will inform them about the situation and ask them to come out."
General Officer Commanding in Chief of Pune based Southern Command said the NSG has established contact with one terrorist in Taj Hotel.
Meanwhile, intense gun battle raged in Nariman House, where NSG commandos were airdropped on Friday morning. Two or three terrorists, holed up inside the five-storey building, were exchanging fire with NSG guards, some of whom were perched on the roof neighbouring building in the busy Colaba area.
The terrorists have kept as hostage eight Israelis, including a couple - Jewish priest Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg his wife Rivka and their one-year-old child. In dramatic scenes, five NSG commandos slithered down a rope from an IAF helicopter that hovered over the Nariman House, taking care to avoid sniper firing from the desperados.
Earlier, Nariman House was rocked by three explosions during the wee hours.
"The operation to clean up the Nariman House is still going on," Director General of National Security Guard (NSG) J K Dutt told reporters adding, "it is just a matter of time and it will end soon."
While the new building complex of Taj Hotel was cleared, the terrorists, who had moved to the heritage building, exploded some grenades in possibly their last hour battle.
Reports said that there are three-four terrorists holding an equal number of hostages. In Trident also gun shorts were heard. | 
