MUMBAI, India -- Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India's financial capital, killing at least 78 people and wounding at least 200, officials said Thursday. The gunmen were specifically targeting Britons and Americans and a top police official said the gunmen are holding hostages at two luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels. The gunmen also attacked police headquarters in south Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks, which began late Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning, took place. "We are under fire, there is shooting at the gate," said constable A. Shetti by phone from police headquarters. Hours after the first attacks, A.N. Roy, a senior police officer, said police continued to battle the gunmen.
MUMBAI, India -- Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India's financial capital, killing at least 78 people and wounding at least 200, officials said Thursday. The gunmen were specifically targeting Britons and Americans and a top police official said the gunmen are holding hostages at two luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels.
The gunmen also attacked police headquarters in south Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks, which began late Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning, took place.
"We are under fire, there is shooting at the gate," said constable A. Shetti by phone from police headquarters.
Hours after the first attacks, A.N. Roy, a senior police officer, said police continued to battle the gunmen.
Gunmen have opened fire at a number of sites in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing at least 78 people and injuring about 200 more. Police said shooting was continuing and that the incidents were co-ordinated terrorist attacks. Gunmen had taken hostages at two hotels, they said. At least seven sites have been targeted across India's financial capital. There has been a wave of bombings in Indian cities in recent months which has left scores of people dead. Most of the attacks have been blamed on Muslim militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists.
Gunmen have opened fire at a number of sites in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing at least 78 people and injuring about 200 more.
Police said shooting was continuing and that the incidents were co-ordinated terrorist attacks. Gunmen had taken hostages at two hotels, they said.
At least seven sites have been targeted across India's financial capital.
There has been a wave of bombings in Indian cities in recent months which has left scores of people dead.
Most of the attacks have been blamed on Muslim militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists.
At least 78 people were killed and 200 injured today when gunmen opened fire on a crowded Mumbai railway station, luxury hotels and a restaurant popular with tourists. Johnny Joseph, chief secretary for Maharashtra state in India, of which Mumbai is the capital, says the death toll could rise further. The gunmen attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark, along with the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels. The motive for the attacks was not immediately clear but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terror attacks, often blamed on Muslim militants, including a series of blasts in July last year that killed 187 people. Several European MEPs were among those barricaded inside the Taj, a century-old seaside hotel complex and one of the city's best-known destinations. Sajjad Karim, part of a delegation of MEPs visiting Mumbai ahead of a forthcoming EU-India summit, said: "I was in the main lobby and there was all of a sudden a lot of firing outside."
At least 78 people were killed and 200 injured today when gunmen opened fire on a crowded Mumbai railway station, luxury hotels and a restaurant popular with tourists.
Johnny Joseph, chief secretary for Maharashtra state in India, of which Mumbai is the capital, says the death toll could rise further.
The gunmen attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark, along with the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels.
The motive for the attacks was not immediately clear but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terror attacks, often blamed on Muslim militants, including a series of blasts in July last year that killed 187 people.
Several European MEPs were among those barricaded inside the Taj, a century-old seaside hotel complex and one of the city's best-known destinations.
Sajjad Karim, part of a delegation of MEPs visiting Mumbai ahead of a forthcoming EU-India summit, said: "I was in the main lobby and there was all of a sudden a lot of firing outside."
Britons and Americans have been taken hostage at a Bombay hotel during a terrorist attack in India which has left at least 80 people dead. Police said that gunmen were reported to be holding an unknown number of Western hostages in the exclusive Taj Palace hotel, which was among seven targets stormed by terrorists armed with guns and grenades. Teams of gunmen earlier stormed luxury hotels, tourist attractions and a crowded station in an attack that left a further 90 people wounded. The gunmen also attacked the police headquarters in the south of the city, which is India's commercial capital and also known as Mumbai. Among the targets was the Oberoi hotel as well as the popular Leopold's restaurant. Witnesses said the terrorists were specifically targeting British and American visitors. Guests in the restaurant of the five-star Oberoi were challenged on their nationality as they were herded upstairs. "They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans," said Alex Chamberlain, a British businessman. "My friend said to me, don't be a hero, don't say you are British. "I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
Police said that gunmen were reported to be holding an unknown number of Western hostages in the exclusive Taj Palace hotel, which was among seven targets stormed by terrorists armed with guns and grenades.
Teams of gunmen earlier stormed luxury hotels, tourist attractions and a crowded station in an attack that left a further 90 people wounded.
The gunmen also attacked the police headquarters in the south of the city, which is India's commercial capital and also known as Mumbai.
Among the targets was the Oberoi hotel as well as the popular Leopold's restaurant.
Witnesses said the terrorists were specifically targeting British and American visitors. Guests in the restaurant of the five-star Oberoi were challenged on their nationality as they were herded upstairs.
"They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans," said Alex Chamberlain, a British businessman. "My friend said to me, don't be a hero, don't say you are British.
"I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
