Mumbai, 27th Nov 2008 -- India woke to a bloody dawn today as terrorists attacked 10 places in India's financial capital of Mumbai, killing more than 100 and injuring at least 200 people.

They fired indiscriminately at some places, including at a hospital, and also took US, British and Israeli citizens as hostages in two hotels and a nearby building. In one hotel, the number of those held hostage was reported to be between 40 to 50, but there were several guests also locked in their rooms.

The incident is the worst ever terror attack in India, and perhaps also in the world.

British consular officials reported at least seven British nationals among those injured.

Carrying AK 47 assault rifles, grenades and heavy loads of munitions for sustained attacks, at last 20 to 30 terrorists launched coordinated and multiple attacks on ten places in the city, including the city's two landmark hotels, the Taj Mahal Palace and the Oberoi Trident.

One official reported that there were at least 12 terrorists in the Taj, and that five others had been killed and one captured by the commandos.

Battles raged overnight between the terrorists and security forces at both the Taj and Oberoi. Grenade explosions led to a severe fire in the Taj hotel, popular with all foreigners, including Arabs..

At least some of the terrorists took the sea route, landing in a rubber boat just opposite the Taj hotel. But as a large amount of cash and eight kilos of military grade explosive RDX were seized during a search in the vicinity, it is believed that some of the terrorists were already in the city.

An unknown outfit, the Deccan (southern) Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attacks. It may be noted though that as and when police declares an outfit outlawed, they adopt other names. Some of them also do so to mask their identity.

Indian officials blamed an international conspiracy, including the hand of some Indian gangsters who had earlier lived in foreign countries and then moved to a neighbouring country.

There was worldwide condemnation though from the US, UK, Pakistan, and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

Some of the terrorists escaped after commandeering a police car, as well as in two other vehicles but nearly a dozen of them were apprehended, and half a dozen killed. Hours after their deadly escape, police was trying to figure out where they could have melted in one of the world's most heavily populated cities.

Footage from Closed Circuit TV cameras at some places, including the city's main railway Victoria Terminal Station showed young, heavily armed and well-trained terrorists.

They sprayed bullets on passengers at this terminal, massacring whosoever came in their line of fire.

Military and police commandos were involved in the operation to rescue the hostages and the guests in hotels. Nearly a dozen police officers, some of them elite officers from the city's Anti Terror Squad (ATS) as well as one naval commando also lost their lives. (WAM G WAM/TF)