Introduction
On November 26, 2008, the commercial hub for India came under a horrific terrorist attack. Ten gunmen believed to be members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba simultaneously struck Mumbai city in five different areas. The terrorists, armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades, targeted civilians in the southern part of the town. Areas under attack included the busy CST railway terminus, the popular leopard café, two hospitals, and a theatre. Although most of the attacks lasted a few hours, the terror unfolded in three stations where hostages were taken and held in the Nariman House, Oberoi Trident, Taj Mahal Palace, and Tower. The attack lasted for three days and left 174 dead people, including 20 security personnel and 26 foreign nationals (Arce, 2018). More than 300 individuals were injured, marking this attack the most tragic terrorist activity for decades in the history of India.
Analysis of the Attack
The Mumbai attack impacted the field of global terrorism in various ways. These influences were heavy and long-lasting though they may change over time. This terror act gave repressive yet preventive policies to curb more attacks. In addition, it exposed the existing loopholes in the security system worldwide, forming a significant change in the forces. The event is considered a terrorist attack because it involved rooted training, financing, planning, onsite reconnaissance, and well-equipped automatic weapons such as the AK-47. Samples taken from the attackers revealed that they had taken cocaine and LSD during the attack to sustain their energy levels (Mohan, 2018). Also, the attack included a series of well-coordinated shootings accompanied by bomb blasts.
The Global Nature of the Attack and Ideologies
The 9/11 attack was well planned and coordinated, employing tactics and methods reflecting a familiar virulent ideology. The evolution of both homegrown terrorists and foreign tactics shows how they have emerged in creating new threats to the world. The underlying motivation of the terror group responsible was to attain more casualties as possible. This is evident in the discipline displayed by the attackers during the final phase of the activity. A key striking aspect of the attack was the challenge it presented to the government of India, which was hard for New Delhi to ignore. Heated confrontations in the 2001 Islamic attack on the Indian parliament triggered the relationship between the two neighbors, Pakistan and India.
The attackers intended to draw attention to the Indian government by placing Jews and well-to-do guests in five-star hotels in the interest of the activity. Also, the bombing and gunfire in other areas, such as railroads and hospitals, show a more general purpose to spread terror in the hub of India and cause casualties. To further its global cause, Dekkan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the act through email, which was later traced to a Russian IP address implying an international connection (Sonawane et al., 2020). The Mumbai attack gave rise to new confrontations in the Indo-Pakistan political war geared towards earning Islam a favorable political outcome.
The Impact of the Attack
Counterattacks involved the National Security Guards, Elite Naval Commandos, and army forces from various units. The FBI obtained approval to assist in uncovering the possible attackers of the city. Also, local government agencies such as the India intelligence and SWAT group were deployed in the response. This globally strengthened the international ties between India and the United States while sending an alert message to other countries. The signal intelligence linked the Mumbai terror to Pakistan though the government of Pakistani was reluctant to help apprehend the shooters.
Countries involved in the Mumbai attack included Pakistan, accused of the act, and the United States, who came to help in the response. The spell in the Taj Hotel trapped several European Parliament Committees on international trade delegates from various countries. The attack impacted the terrorist group as well. It helped the terror group’s objective by straining the slowly recovering international relationship between India and Pakistan (Scott, 2019). In addition, the attack caused fear when Pakistan moved its troops towards the Indian border, hinting at a possible attack. There were many casualties, and more people were wounded, signifying a win to the terrorist group. The terror group gained the support of followers as the international reactions to the attack were widespread, with much attention from media coverage and social media sharing. This was a win to the attackers because the event received world attention and was heard by many countries. Though the shooters involved were all killed, and the only live survivor served with the death penalty, it was a massive win for the Islamic terrorist organization from Pakistan.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the Mumbai attack is remembered for its coordination, execution, and number of wounded people. The episode first targeted western nationals and Indian citizens to gain a more significant global interest in identifying the terror group. All the shooters were Pakistan nationals who attacked multiple sites in the densely populated crowds. One of the terrorists was captured alive by the Indian forces, who gave insights into the attack. New Delhi wanted the United States to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terror activities after the broken ties with Pakistan after the attack.
References
Arce, D. G. (2018). On the human consequences of terrorism. Public Choice, 178(3-4), 371–396. Web.
Mohan, S. (2018). Military capabilities and regime type: The emergence of India–Pakistan rivalry. International Politics, 56(1), 49–69. Web.
Scott, B. (2019). The mysteries of Mumbai: Terrorism and banality in sacred games. MFS Modern Fiction Studies, 65(2), 285–307. Web.
Sonawane, D. V., Garg, B. K., Chandanwale, A., Mathesul, A. A., Shinde, O. R., & Singh, S. (2020). 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack revisited: Lessons learned and novel disaster model for future. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 12(1). Web.