New Delhi: On the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said the nation remembers with gratitude all those it lost and paid homage to the security personnel who fought valiantly and made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.
"On the anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the nation remembers with gratitude all those we lost. We share the enduring pain of their loved ones and families. Nation pays homage to the security personnel who fought valiantly and made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty," Murmu tweeted. Speaking at an event on Constitution Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembered the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh also joined in paying tributes to the victims of the attacks. In a tweet, he said that he “salutes the memory of all those who lost their lives in this incident”. “My heartfelt tributes to the security personnel who sacrificed their lives while fighting this attack. This country has not forgotten the incident of 26/11, nor will it ever forget,” his tweet read.
Union home minister Amit Shah also paid his “heartfelt tributes to those who lost their lives in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks”. “I…remember and salute our brave security personnel who made the supreme sacrifice fighting the terrorists. Today gives a message to the whole world to fight unitedly against terrorism,” he tweeted.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to those who lost their lives in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and said India will continue to stand fearlessly against violence. Gandhi in a tweet said "Security personnel who sacrificed their everything to protect India are the pride of our country. My humble tributes to the brave soldiers and common people who were martyred in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. India has always stood fearlessly against fear and violence and will continue to do so."
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists who had attacked the metropolis on this day 14 years ago. They paid tributes at the martyrs' memorial in the premises of the Police Commissioner's Office in south Mumbai.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, minister Deepak Kesarkar, Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava, state Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Seth, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and other officials were present there. Family members of the policemen, who lost their lives during the November 2008 attacks, also paid tributes to the martyrs.
On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived by sea route and opened fire indiscriminately at people killing 166, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others, besides damaging property worth crores. The then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Mumbai's Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Kamte and Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar were among those killed in the attack.
The attack had begun on 26 November and lasted until 29 November. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Nariman House Jewish community centre were some of the places targeted by the terrorists. Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012.
