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Rediff.com  » News » Mumbai was warned about terror

Mumbai was warned about terror

By Vicky Nanjappa
Last updated on: November 27, 2008 05:31 IST
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Mumbai has become a favourite target for terrorists.

This is the 15th terror attack on the financial capital of India since the year 1993 and this makes the city the highest victim of terror strikes.

An IB dossier states that Mumbai is the most vulnerable to terror strikes while Delhi and Hyderabad are second and third respectively. It was not as though that there was no warning that Mumbai would be struck again.

After accomplishing operation Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi, there was a specific warning by the Intelligence Bureau that Mumbai would be next on the hit list.

Commissioner of Police, Mumbai city, Hassan Gafoor had said during a press conference that the interrogation conducted on the Indian Mujahideen cadres in September too had revealed that there was a plan to attack Mumbai next.

Although it is too early to comment as to who could have carried out the blasts, the IB says that it was surely an act of terror considering the fact that AK-47 rifles were used and the attack was serial in nature. The Supreme Court of India in the S K Shukla vs State of Uttar Pradesh case in the year 2003 had classified both the Ak-47 and AK-56 as weapons of mass destruction and also observed that using it ( apart from security agencies) would be an act of terror.

Although Mumbai was waiting to be attacked, the manner in which the strikes were carried out has completely foxed both the police and intelligence bureau officials. The IB says that the guns were used to carry out a terror strike intentionally as it was expected that such an operation would catch security agencies off guard.

The IB says that terror outfits have been constantly improvising the manner in which they undertake attacks in order to fox investigating and security agencies.

The IB however adds that it is too early to pin point as to who could have carried out the attack. Mumbai has been a favourite destination for terrorists since it is the financial capital of the country and any attack on this place will automatically shake the economy of the country.  

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Vicky Nanjappa