New Delhi : The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday paid heartfelt tribute to the victims and security personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "My humble tribute to the brave soldiers and common citizens who were martyred in the dussahasi terrorist attack in Mumbai on 26/11. India will never forget their courage, sacrifice, and martyrdom."
This year marks 17 years since terrorists from the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) unleashed mayhem on the streets of India's financial capital, Mumbai, on November 26, 2008. Commonly referred to as 26/11, these coordinated assaults by a group of 10 terrorists sent shockwaves through the nation and the world.
The terrorists had entered the city of Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008, via sea route and over the course of four days, they killed 166 people and injured 300, in some of the busiest parts of the city.
The targets were carefully chosen after being surveyed for maximum impact, viz., the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre at Nariman House, Cama Hospital, Metro Cinema and the Leopold Cafe, since these places were frequented by foreign nationals along with a major part of Mumbai's workforce.
The scars left by the tragic event continue to haunt those who witnessed it and the families who lost their loved ones. The bullet marks at Leopold Cafe and Nariman House, the bust of Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble, who gave up his life while capturing the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, and the streets of South Mumbai keep alive the memory of the gruesome terror attack.