Today, India solemnly observes the 13th anniversary of the tragic terrorist attack which gives goosebumps to every Indian even now. The 26/11 attack which took place in Mumbai was a deadly battle between terrorists and the police force of Maharashtra. Around 166 people died in the terror attack, including 18 police personnel who were posted in Mumbai.
The 60-hour siege in Mumbai is still alive in the minds of people as the whole country was shaken and was praying for the police force to take control of the city. On 26 November 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists entered India taking the sea route and carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. Nine terrorists were killed during the attack and a total of 300 people got wounded. Mumbai police managed to get hands on one of the terrorists named Ajmal Kasab who was caught alive.
Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai: at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Palace & Tower, the Leopold Cafe, the Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier’s College.
The situation was very tough but the police force who were deployed to take on the terrorists showed so much courage, and many even sacrificed their lives while protecting their country. India bows down to all the 18 police personnel who sacrificed their lives during this terror attack.
The officers who were martyred were Chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte, Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble, Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar, Police Inspector Shashank Shinde, Sub-Inspector Prakash P More, Bapusaheb Durugade, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, and more.
Today, the Maharashtra government paid floral tribute to the martyrs at the police headquarters in south Mumbai. It was attended by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil.
Maharashtra police have also paid respect to all the police personnel who lost their lives in the duty of the nation. Every police station of Maharashtra paid tribute to the martyrs by paying floral tributes to their photos and saluting them in official ceremonies.
IPS Krishna Prakash, Commissioner of Police, Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, while speaking to Indian Masterminds, said, “We salute the martyrs of 26/11 which included police officers, commandos, hotel, and hospital staff, fire brigade force, and also the civilians. They fought very bravely and the good point is that for the first time a Pakistani terrorist was arrested in mainland India. The sacrifice of the police personnel and everybody who lost their lives during the attacks is supreme. We should remember this till our last breath, and what they did for the country.”
Here is a glimpse of how Pune’s Pimpri Chinchwad Commissinorate observed the 13th anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Apart from this, the Police Federation of India and bureaucrats from all over the country bow down to the bravery shown by the martyrs on this day of 2008. Indian Masterminds attaches a series of tweets where officers are seen paying their due respect in front of the warriors who died in the Mumbai terror attack.
