This is a timeline of the 2008 Mumbai attacks .
In October, US intelligence agencies warned the chairman of the company that owns the hotel, Mr Ratan Tata, that there will be a terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Security was increased, but was removed soon after. [1]
On 18 November, Indian intelligence agencies intercepted a satellite phone call to a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization, which revealed plans for a sea borne attack. [2]
| Date | Estimated Time (+0530 UTC) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov | evening | Ten terrorists leave Karachi, Pakistan in a boat and travel for thirty-eight hours, remaining undetected by the Indian Navy. [3] [4] |
| 22 Nov | Each of the 10 men is given 6 to 7 magazines of 30 rounds each plus 400 rounds not loaded in magazines, 8 hand grenades, one AK-47 assault rifle, an automatic loading revolver, credit cards and a supply of dried fruit. [3] [5] | |
| 23 Nov | The terrorists hijack an Indian trawler, the Kuber, killing four fishermen and ordering the captain to sail to India. [3] | |
| 26 Nov | dusk | They reach within four nautical miles (7 kilometres) of Mumbai and kill the captain. They then proceed to board three inflatable speedboats and proceed towards Colaba jetty. [3] |
| 26 Nov | 20:10 | The first boat carrying around ten of them with several large bags docks at Macchimar Nagar, in Mumbai's Cuffe Parade neighbourhood, where six of the men disembark and the rest continue sailing along the shore. When local residents ask about their occupation, the group responds that they are students. [6] |
| 26 Nov | 20:30 | Another such incident plays out in Colaba, when the remaining men come ashore at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade. [3] They reportedly tell local Marathi-speaking fishermen to mind their business before they split up and head two different ways. [7] |
| 26 Nov | Two terrorists attack Leopold Cafe, spraying bullets onto the people inside before fleeing. 10 people are killed and many are injured, including a Reuters news reporter. Terrorists also plant bombs in two taxis, killing 5 people and wounding 15. | |
| 26 Nov | Four of the men enter the Taj Mahal Hotel, two enter the Oberoi Trident, two enter Nariman House, and the other two men, Ajmal Kasab and Ismail, take a taxi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. [3] | |
| 26 Nov | 21:20 | Armed with AK-47 and AK74U rifles, Kasab and Ismail enter the passenger hall of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, opening fire and throwing grenades, [8] killing 58 people and wounding 104. [9] |
| 26 Nov | 22:30 | Kasab and Ismail then proceed to the Cama Hospital. The Hospital staff, noticing their approach, lock all of the patients' rooms. The two men reach the Hospital, opening fire there. ATS chief Hemant Karkare attempts to chase them in a jeep, but is gunned down, along with three of his men. The terrorists then hijack the jeep and drive away, but are intercepted by a team from the Gamdevi police station near the pedestrian bridge at Girgaum Chowpatty (Coordinates: 18°57′20″N72°48′46″E / 18.955552°N 72.812909°E ). Ismail is killed and Kasab is arrested. [10] [11] |
Sources: NDTV , [12] Evening Standard , [13] and BBC [14]
| Date | Estimated Time (+0530 UTC) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Nov | 23:00 | Four terrorists enter Taj hotel. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 00:00 | Mumbai police surround the hotel. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 01:00 | Massive blast in the central dome, fire in the building. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 02:30 | Army soldiers arrive in two trucks and enter the front lobby. Fire spreads across the top floor. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 03:00 | Fire engines arrive. Shooting is heard inside lobby and heritage building. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 04:00 | Firemen rescue people with ladders. [12] More than 200 people evacuated. |
| 27 Nov | 04:30 | Terrorists reported to move from central dome to new tower. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 05:00 | Commandos and Bomb squad arrive. Police step up pressure. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 05:30 | Fire brought under control but terrorists holed up in new tower with 100 to 150 hostages. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 06:30 | Security forces say they are ready for encounter. Government also gives the green signal to storm the hotel. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 08:00 | People are brought out of the lobby. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 08:30 | Another 50 people brought out of Chambers Club. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 09:00 | More rounds of firing, many more people reported to be still inside. [12] |
| 27 Nov | 10:30 | Gun battle reported from inside hotel. |
| 27 Nov | 12:00 | 50 people evacuated. |
| 27 Nov | 16:30 | Terrorists set fire to a room on the 4th floor |
| 27 Nov | 19:20 | More National Security Guards (NSG) commandos arrive, enter hotel. |
| 28 Nov | 14:53 | Six bodies recovered. |
| 28 Nov | 14:53 – 15:59 | Ten grenade explosions. |
| 28 Nov | 15:00 | Marine commandos recover explosives from Taj. |
| 28 Nov | 16:00 | 12 to 15 bodies recovered from the Taj by naval commandos. |
| 28 Nov | 19:30 | Fresh explosions and gunshots at Taj Hotel. |
| 28 Nov | 20:30 | Report that one terrorist remains at the Taj. |
| 29 Nov | 03:40 – 04:10 | Reports of five explosions at the Taj. |
| 29 Nov | 04:20 | The Taj Mahal Hotel is reported to be completely under government control. [15] |
| 29 Nov | 05:05 | Revised estimate of one terrorist remaining. |
| 29 Nov | 07:30 | Fire raging on first floor. Black smoke on second floor. Gunshots heard frequently — apparent gun battle. |
| 29 Nov | 08:00 | Indian commandos state that the Taj Hotel is now under control though they are still conducting room to room searches. People celebrate on the streets. [16] |
| Date | Estimated Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov | 06:00 | Police don't do anything because they were not allowed to make decisions as situation was handed over to NSG. |
| 27 Nov | 08:40 | Firing heard, head army, navy officers arrive and take stock. |
| 27 Nov | 13:30 | Two small explosions. More reinforcements enter building. |
| 27 Nov | 15:25 | Some foreign hostages rescued. |
| 27 Nov | 17:35 | Jat regiment arrives, fierce gun battle. |
| 27 Nov | 18:00 | 27 hostages exit Air India building, four foreigners taken to hospital. |
| 27 Nov | 18:45 | Explosion heard. Two NSG guards, 25 army personnel suspected injured. More people rescued, 31 in total. |
| 27 Nov | 19:25 | Fire breaks out on 4th floor. |
| 28 Nov | 10:00 | Many hostages evacuated from the Trident building. |
| 28 Nov | 15:00 | Commando operations at Oberoi over, 24 bodies recovered. [17] 143 hostages rescued alive. Two terrorists are shot dead. [18] [19] |
| Date | Estimated Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov | 07:00 | Police begin evacuating adjacent buildings. |
| 27 Nov | 11:00 | Cross firing between terrorists and police; one terrorist injured. |
| 27 Nov | 14:45 | Terrorists throw grenade into nearby lane; no casualties. |
| 27 Nov | 17:30 | NSG commandos arrive, naval helicopter takes aerial survey. |
| 27 Nov | 00:00 | 9 hostages are rescued from the first floor. |
| 28 Nov | 07:30 | NSG commandos are inserted via fast-rope from helicopters onto the roof of Nariman house. [20] To prevent an attack on the commandos, snipers are positioned in nearby buildings. |
| 28 Nov | 19:30 | Commandos find all 6 hostages, including the rabbi and his wife, tortured and murdered by the terrorists. |
| 28 Nov | 20:30 | NSG commandos kill the 2 terrorists in a fierce gun battle and declare the operation over. |
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