17 years since 26/11 Mumbai attacks: Recalling the bravery that saved countless lives

Mumbai terror attack

On the 17th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, the nation pauses to honour the 166 lives lost and the extraordinary bravery displayed by security personnel and civilians alike during the three-day siege that shook India.

On 26 November 2008, 10 operatives from the Pakistani terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba infiltrated Mumbai via the sea route. They then fanned out across South Mumbai, launching coordinated assaults with automatic weapons and grenades at multiple landmarks, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, Leopold Cafe and the Nariman House Jewish centre. The attacks left more than 300 injured in addition to the devastating death toll.

The response to the terror was defined by countless acts of valour. Among the most poignant stories of sacrifice is that of Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble of the Mumbai Police. Manning a checkpoint at Girgaum Chowpatty, Omble, armed only with a lathi, confronted terrorist Ajmal Kasab. When Kasab opened fire, Omble, despite being hit by multiple rounds, held fast to the barrel of the attacker’s rifle, allowing his colleagues to subdue and capture Kasab alive. His action provided intelligence agencies with a critical breakthrough. Omble was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra.

The city’s police force suffered grievous losses that night. Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, along with Encounter Specialist Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte, were ambushed and killed in their vehicle near Cama Hospital by Kasab and his accomplice. According to reports, the officers were providing support to an injured team when they came under a hail of AK-47 fire.

The National Security Guard’s (NSG) operation to reclaim the Taj Hotel was led by Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. After nearly 15 hours of relentless combat, Major Unnikrishnan was fatally wounded while pursuing terrorists, having reportedly told his team not to follow him for their own safety. He was posthumously conferred the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime military award.

Courage was not confined to the security forces. Hotel staff at the Taj became unsung heroes, prioritising the safety of their guests above their own. Mallika Jagad, the hotel’s banquet manager, swiftly locked doors, turned off lights, and calmly reassured panicked guests until help arrived. Thomas Varghese, a senior waiter at the hotel’s Wasabi restaurant, ensured every guest had evacuated safely before he was shot dead by terrorists while leaving the building.

In a tragedy of unimaginable personal loss, the Taj Hotel’s General Manager, Karambir Singh Kang, worked tirelessly to coordinate evacuation efforts even as his own wife and two sons were trapped inside and lost their lives.

The sacrifice of other police personnel, including Assistant Sub-Inspector Balasaheb Bhosale, Constable Vijay Khandekar and Sub-Inspector Prakash Pandurang More, who was struck by five bullets and a grenade, is also remembered as integral to the city’s response.

Seventeen years may have passed, but the memory of the 26/11 attacks remains indelibly etched in the national consciousness. As tributes pour in, the day stands as a sombre reminder of the human cost of terrorism and the enduring spirit of those who faced it with unyielding courage.