Terrorists planned a 9/11 in India

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By Ashish Kumar Sen THE WASHINGTON TIMES

NEW DELHI | Ten terrorists who launched a wave of deadly attacks on Bombay last week wanted to create an Indian 9/11 and kill 5,000 people, according to a state official and information obtained from one of the captured gunmen.

"We found bullets with them, hand grenades, bombs," R.R. Patil, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, said at a news conference in Bombay on Saturday. "Based on our investigation, we believe they had planned to kill 5,000 people."

Nearly 200 people, including six Americans and 12 other foreigners, were killed in the three days of attacks, which ended Saturday morning. The death toll was expected to rise with the discovery of more bodies now that authorities have access to all of the sites where the attacks took place.

A previously unknown Muslim group called Deccan Mujahideen -- a name suggesting origins inside India -- claimed responsibility.

But the captured terrorist, identified as 21-year-old Azam Amir Kasav, is said to be Pakistani and reportedly said part of his group's mission was to destroy the historic Taj Mahal and Oberoi-Trident hotels, replicating the attacks on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in September. The men, nine of whom were killed, had enough explosives to reduce the hotels to rubble, authorities said.

A couple of the attackers had worked at the hotels and were well-acquainted with the layouts of the buildings. Mr. Kasav confessed to booking rooms at the Taj to store explosives. The Hindustan Times reported that in one four- to five-hour gun battle, militants retreated through a hidden door in the hotel that Indian troops did not know existed.

On Wednesday night, Mr. Kasav and another gunman attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station before killing top police officers. A journalist who arrived at the scene soon after the attacks told The Washington Times, "I can't get that sight out of my mind. Bodies were lying everywhere."

The journalist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he had seen Mr. Kasav, who had "a devilish smile on his face."

"He was calmly walking after killing so many innocent people."

In a subsequent encounter with commandos, Mr. Kasav was shot in the hand and pretended to be dead. On the way to the hospital, police discovered he was breathing, and he was taken into custody.