I have been meaning to finish this since November of 2013 and am finally getting around to it today, 23 December 2015.
Understanding this incident is absolutely critical for First Responders AND those who choose to live their lives as legally armed citizens. Mumbai '08 represents a true paradigm shift in terrorist assaults using ground combat tactics involving small arms and improvised explosive devices. The attack was of a long duration and greatly strained local resources causing a delayed reaction to a dynamic, fluid, and rapidly evolving crisis situation and later strongly taxing local responder resources, which further delayed any additional responses.
What we see in Mumbai, sets the precedent for other attacks that followed in time.
This article focuses purely on Mumbai and will be utilized in compilation with other articles to follow over the coming months covering other attacks that, in our minds, were a "product improvement" if you will over previous methods.
Without further ado, Mumbai 2008.
The following were my sources:
-General: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks"
-Timeline: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2008_Mumbai_attacks"
-Confirmation lf LeT status as Terrorist Organization: "http://www.nctc.gov/site/groups/let.html"
Location:
(specifics to follow)
Mumbai, Maharastra, India
Previously: "Bombay."
Most Populous City in India
4th Most Populous City Worldwide
Timeframe:
(all times local to incident)
Evening 21 NOV 2008 - 0800 29 NOV 2008
Combatants:
-Indian National Security Guard
-Indian Marine Commandos
-Indian Navy Commandos
-Indian Army
-Indian Central Reserve Police Force-RAPID ACTION FORCE
-Mumbai Police
-At least 11 Members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (A Pakistan-based Islamic Militant organization, recognized by the US Government as a Terrorist Organization)
Targets:
-Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
-Oberoi Trident Hotel
-Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel
-Leopold Cafe
-Cama Hospital
-Nariman House (now Chabad House) Jewish Outreach Center
-Metro Adlabs (now Metro Cinema) movie theater
Timeline:
21 NOV-23 NOV Evening (Time Unknown)
-Terrorists in transit via boat from Karachi, Pakistan
23 NOV (Time Unknown)
-Terrorists hijack an Indian Trawler. 4 Sailors are killed and the vessel's Captain is ordered to set sail for India
26 NOV Approx. Dusk
-Captain of trawler is killed, terrorists disembark trawler in 3 inflatable boats and head towards the Mumbai neighborhood of Colaba.
26 NOV Between 2010 and 2030
-Boats come ashore and men disembark in the Mumbai neighborhoods of Cuffe Parade, Badhwar Park, and Colaba
26 NOV Time Unknown, Between 2030 and 2120
-Two persons enter Leopold Cafe and open fire.
-The men have all been provided with hand grenades, firearms, ammunition, SIM cards, credit cards, and food (dried fruit).
-10 people are killed with many wounded.
-Explosives are placed in two taxi cabs.
-Four men enter the Taj Mahal Hotel.
-Two enter the Oberoi Trident Hotel.
-Two enter a taxi and depart for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
-Upon reaching their destinations, the terrorist suspects immediately open small arms fire
26 NOV 2120
-The subjects entering the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus open fire with Kalashnikov pattern rifles and throw hand grenades.
-52 are killed, 105 are wounded
26 NOV 2140
-One of the explosives devices planted in a cab detonates near Vile Parle killing the driver and passenger of the cab in which it was placed.
26 NOV 2220-2225
-The second device detonates near Wadi Bunder killing three and wounding fifteen.
26 NOV 2230
-Perpetrators depart Terminus, enroute to Cama Hospital.
-Alert hospital staff locked all patient rooms.
-The perpetrators open fire on a nearby parked vehicle.
-Five Police Officers from the Mumbai Police Anti-Terrorist Squad under the command of Joint Commissioner of Police Hemant Karkare have been searching Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and have since responded to the Hospital.
-The police officers engage the suspects with small arms fire.
-One suspect is killed, the other is captured
- JCP Karkare and three other officers are killed in action, while the other officer is wounded.
-The subject apprehended here would be the only surviving perpetrator.
*AT THIS TIME, THE FORMAT WILL SHIFT INTO SEPARATE SUB-EVENT TIMELINES*
TAJ MAHAL HOTEL
26 NOV 2300
-Four perpetrators enter the Taj Mahal Hotel.
-The perpetrators place explosive devices and open fire.
27 NOV 0000
-Mumbai police officers surround the hotel
27 NOV 0100
-Large explosion occurs in the central dome of the hotel
-Building on fire
27 NOV 0230
-Indian Army forces arrive in two trucks
-Fire spreads across top floor of hotel
27 NOV 0300
-Fire engines arrive
-Small arms fire is heard inside hotel lobby and heritage building
27 NOV, 0400
-Fire department begins ladder rescues
-Over 200 personnel evacuated
27 NOV 0430
-Terrorists believed to have moved from central dome to new tower area
27 NOV 0500
-Explosive Ordnance Disposal assets arrive
-Commando forces arrive
27 NOV 0530
-Terrorists have moved to new tower with 100-150 hostages
-Fire in main building under control
27 NOV 0630
-Security Forces determine they are prepared for action
-Indian Government authorize assault on hotel
27 NOV 0800
-Personnel evacuated from lobby
27 NOV 0830
-Approximately 50 personnel removed from Chambers Club area
27 NOV 0900
-More small arms fire from inside of hotel
27 NOV 1030
-More bursts of small arms fire
27 NOV 1200
-Additional 50 personnel evacuated
27 NOV 1630
-Fire in room on 4th floor set by terrorists
27 NOV 1920
-Addidional National Security Guard commandos respond and reinforce the assault on hotel
28 NOV 1453
-Six bodies are recovered
-Between 1453 and 1559, TEN grenade explosions are heard
28 NOV 1500
-Marine Commando units recover explosives from hotel
28 NOV 1600
-12-15 bodies recovered by Navy Commandos
28 NOV 1930
-Additional explosions and small arms fire are heard
28 NOV 2030
-One hostile believed to remain in the hotel
29 NOV 0340
-Between 0340 and 0410, five more explosions are reported
29 NOV 0420
-Taj Mahal Hotel believed to be under control of government security forces
29 NOV 0505
-Revised intelligence indicates one more terrorist suspect at large in the hotel
29 NOV 0730
-Fire burning intensely on first floor
-Dark smoke visible from second floor
-Intense small arms fire
29 NOV 0800
-Security Forces believe hotel to be under government control
-Thorough searches being conducted
-End of overall operations in response to attacks
OBEROI TRIDENT
27 NOV 0600
-National Security Guard Commandos arrive at Oberoi Trident hote
-Assault begins
27 NOV 084
-Small arms fire heard
-Senior military officials arrive to assess situation
27 NOV 1330
-Two explosions heard
-Reinforcements arrive
27 NOV 1525
-Small number of foreign national hostages rescued
27 NOV 1735
-Regiment of Indian Army arrives
-Intense small arms exchange occurs
27 NOV 1800
-27 Hostages escape through Air India building
-Four are hospitalized
27 NOV 1845
-Explosion
-NSG sustains 2 casualties
-Regualr Army sustains 25 casualties
-Additional Hostages rescued
27 NOV 1925
-Fire reported on 4th Floor
28 NOV 1000
-Multiple additional hostages rescued or escaped from Trident Building
28 NOV 1500
-Oberoi declared secure
-24 bodies recovered-143 hostages rescued
-2 Terrorists KIA
NARIMAN HOUSE
27 NOV 0700
-Police evacuate adjacent structures
27 NOV 1100
-Small arms exchange between police and terrorists
-One terrorist injured
27 NOV 1445
-Terrorists deploy hand grenade against police
-No casualties
27 NOV 1730
-NSG Commandos on scene
-Navy helicopter conducts aerial reconnaissance
28 NOV 0000
-Nine Hostages rescued from first floor
28 NOV 0730
-NSG Commandos fast-rope from Navy helicopter on Nariman House roof
-Snipers deployed on adjacent rooftops to secure commando incursion
28 NOV 1930
-NSG Commandos find six remaining hostage murdered
28 NOV 2030
-Commandos engage terrorists in small arms exchange
-Terrorists killed
-Operation declared complete
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS:
-Even the largest of infrastructures can be overdrawn
-Small numbers of armed personnel can cause chaos, even with a modern law enforcement and security forces apparatus
-IED threat
-Rifles used
-Covert, illicit entry onto target nation soil
-Attack in heavily populated areas
-Attack intended to cause fear
-Attack intended to incite panic
-Attack involved multiple cells moving in a coordinated manor
-Use of IED's in "Active Shooter" context hampers emergency response and rescue attempts
PRECEDENT SET:
-Multiple coordinated attacks in multiple locations
-Joint small arms and IED threats
-Mobile forces
-Use of porous border
-Planned as suicide mission
LESSONS LEARNED:
-Multiple coordinated attacks in multiple locations intended to strain resources
-Use of small arms and IED's
-IED's deployed against responders
-Required military response
-Required Special Operations Forces mobilization
-Porous border and/or lax immigration policy is invitation to terror attacks
-Personnel were trained as combatants
-Suspects refused to surrender
-Suspects relied on speed, surprise, and violence of action to obtain their attack goals
POTENTIAL EFFECT ON UNITED STATES:
-Border and Immigration Policies are both lax and porous
-Attempts to push gun control measures may form a less easily defensible society
-IED's easily constructed (Reference Tsarnaev brothers in Boston incident)
-Lack of support for Law Enforcement Officers makes officers more reluctant to use force, thereby reducing the likelihood they would intervene without hesitation
-Lack of explosives awareness training among many first responders
-Very poor active shooter training for Law Enforcement personnel (e.g. Immediate Action Rapid Deployment tactics, of which there is nothing remotely resembling either "Immediate" or "Rapid")
-Due to cordon tactics, moving from one building to another is not likely unless done very quickly after the onset of hostilities
-Use of rifle caliber weapons by suspects pose serious risk to those officers that don't wear rifle-rated armor plates
-Vehicle used for cover as taught all over in Law Enforcement training (Vehicles are bullet magnets and only concealment at best except in a very few places)
Folks, I never promised this would be an entertaining article....
Take this information and use it as you will...
I just did the hard part of putting it all in one spot for you.
This time of year I guess it's appropriate to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (or whatever other holiday you want to celebrate)
Stay Safe
(or be deadly)
-Kenny Smith
CEO
Total Force Holdings, Inc.