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Troops search Mumbai siege hotel Troops search Mumbai siege hotel
(about 1 hour later)
Troops have been searching through Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel, hours after an assault ended a bloody three-day siege there. Indian troops have been searching a landmark Mumbai hotel, hours after killing the last gunmen holding out.
Commandos went room-to-room to check for casualties, while small blasts were heard from controlled explosions. Commandos said they had killed three militants inside the Taj Mahal Palace in an assault on the huge building.
A military commander said three militants were killed in the final gun battle, which ended early on Saturday. Wednesday's attacks on hotels, a rail station, a Jewish centre and other sites left at least 195 people dead.
Militants attacked the hotel and other targets on Wednesday night, in violence that left at least 195 people dead. India has blamed "elements with links to Pakistan". Pakistan has pledged to act against any group found to have links to the militants.
Witnesses spoke of a scene of destruction at the Taj Mahal hotel, parts of which had been ablaze during the siege. name="text"> class="bodl" href="#infographic">See a detailed map of the area Funerals have been held for some of the dead including Indian anti-terrorist squad chief Hemant Karkare.
Vehicles waited to take bodies away, as forensic experts and sniffer dogs entered the building. Commando chief JK Dutt appealed to any guests still hiding to make their presence known. class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7754438.stm">Timeline: Mumbai attacks class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7756082.stm">In pictures: Calm returns class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7756464.stm">'No evidence' of UK Mumbai link name="text"> class="bodl" href="#infographic">See a detailed map of the area
On Friday, almost 100 people were rescued from a second hotel, the Oberoi, and six bodies were found at a Jewish centre. The number of militants involved in the co-ordinated attacks remains unclear.
Police say they have arrested one suspected attacker. The number of militants involved in the co-ordinated attacks remains unclear. Indian police say they have arrested one suspected attacker.
In other developments: They are investigating whether a trawler found abandoned with a corpse on board is linked to the attacks.
• The funeral has been held of Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who died in the attacks And they have played down early reports suggesting that British citizens were involved in the attacks.
• A navy spokesman says officials are investigating whether an abandoned trawler with a corpse on board is linked to the attacks Final assault
• Maharashtra State Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh says there is no evidence British citizens were involved in the attacks, despite earlier reports The final assault on the Taj Mahal hotel began shortly before 0730 (0200 GMT) on Saturday.
India's foreign minister has blamed "elements with links to Pakistan" for the attacks. class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7756082.stm">In pictures: Calm returns class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7756369.stm">Mumbai police mourn their dead class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7756407.stm">'Mumbai is in full mourning' class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7756464.stm">'No evidence' of UK Mumbai link
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has pledged to act swiftly if given any evidence of involvement by Pakistani groups or individuals in the attacks. Heavy, sustained gunfire was heard as soldiers rushed into the lobby to flush out the remaining few gunmen.
Earlier, Pakistan reversed a decision to send its intelligence chief to India to help with the investigation, following domestic criticism. It will instead send a lower-ranking representative. "There were three terrorists, we have killed them," the chief of India's elite National Security Guard commandos, JK Dutt, said later.
Questions emerging "There was [a] lot of shooting. Grenades were lobbed and explosives were used by the terrorists."
The final assault on the Taj Mahal hotel began shortly before 0730 (0200 GMT) on Saturday. class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7756369.stm">Mumbai police mourn their dead class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7756242.stm">Indian press criticises security He said that the gunmen had set fire to hotel rooms whenever his commandos were bearing down on them.
Heavy, sustained gunfire was heard as soldiers rushed into the lobby in a bid to flush out the remaining few gunmen. Firefighters worked to contain fierce flames that billowed from the building's lower floors.
Firefighters then worked to contain fierce flames that billowed from the building's lower floors, before security personnel declared the siege over. The stand-offs began late on Wednesday when small groups of gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades opened fire indiscriminately at sites around the city, which also included a hospital and a cafe frequented by foreigners.
The BBC's Mark Dummett, who is at the scene, says that all eyes will now be on India's investigation of the attacks, with questions already being asked about the failure of its intelligence agencies to uncover the plans. BOMB ATTACKS IN INDIA IN 2008 30 October: Explosions kill at least 64 in north-eastern Assam30 September: Blasts in western India kill at least seven27 September: Bomb blasts kills one in Delhi 13 September: Five bomb blasts kill 18 in Delhi 26 July: At least 22 small bombs kill 49 in Ahmedabad25 July: Seven bombs go off in Bangalore killing two people 13 May: Seven bombs hit markets and crowded streets in Jaipur killing 63 class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7753934.stm">Indo-Pakistan ties strained class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7754438.stm">Timeline: Mumbai attacks class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7756242.stm">Indian press criticises security
Some have described this as India's 9/11, our correspondent adds, and people in India now want answers as to who is responsible. BOMB ATTACKS IN INDIA IN 2008 30 October: Explosions kill at least 64 in north-eastern Assam30 September: Blasts in western India kill at least seven27 September: Bomb blasts kills one in Delhi 13 September: Five bomb blasts kill 18 in Delhi 26 July: At least 22 small bombs kill 49 in Ahmedabad25 July: Seven bombs go off in Bangalore killing two people 13 May: Seven bombs hit markets and crowded streets in Jaipur killing 63 class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7753934.stm">Indo-Pakistan ties strained Most of the dead and the 295 injured are Indian citizens. At least 22 foreigners are known to have died, including victims from Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Thailand and France. One Briton, Andreas Liveras, has been killed.
The stand-offs began late on Wednesday when gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades opened fire indiscriminately on crowds at a major railway station, the two hotels, the Jewish centre, a hospital and a cafe frequented by foreigners. A claim of responsibility for this week's attacks - the worst in India's commercial capital since nearly 200 people were killed in a series of bombings in 2006 - was made by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen.
Indian officials says at least 195 people have been killed, with around 295 injured, the vast majority Indian citizens. The toll could rise further, they say.
At least 22 foreigners are known to have died, including victims from Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Thailand and France. One Briton, Andreas Liveras, has been killed.
A claim of responsibility for this week's attacks - the worst in India's commercial capital since nearly 200 people were killed in a series of bombings in 2006 - has been made by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen.
However, most intelligence officials are keeping an open mind as the attacks have thrown up conflicting clues, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says.However, most intelligence officials are keeping an open mind as the attacks have thrown up conflicting clues, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says.
Crisis meeting
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been holding an emergency meeting with his armed forces and intelligence chiefs to discuss the Mumbai attacks.
Mr Singh has already said he believes a group based outside India was behind the killings and senior Indian politicians say the only surviving gunman to be captured is from Pakistan.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari pledged to act swiftly if given any evidence of involvement by Pakistani groups or individuals in the attacks.
His foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, condemned the attacks as "barbaric".
Earlier, Pakistan reversed a decision to send its intelligence chief to India to help with the investigation, following domestic criticism. It will instead send a lower-ranking representative.
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