How 10 Young Men 'Took Over Our City'

In minutes, group landing from sea spread terror across Mumbai

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 1, 2008 11:23 AM CST

(Newser) – How did 10 young men cripple a bustling Indian city in minutes? It started when four arrived on an inflatable boat in a poor fishing colony, scaring off inquisitive residents and jumping into taxis for the Oberoi Trident hotel, the Washington Post reports. “It’s a slum area. We didn’t think to protect it,” said a policeman.

More men joined and they spread out, blasting a train station, popular cafe, hospital, and other buildings. “It seemed like they were in a hurry,” said the cafe’s owner. “It was as if they wanted to shoot as many people as they could even though this was not their main target.” They entered the Taj hotel from its less-guarded back. “Somehow these men owned us,” said a survivor.

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A Jewish man breaks down while attending a memorial service at a synagogue in Mumbai today. (AP Photo)

People wait on the platforms of the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, one of the several places where the attackers shot at people, in Mumbai, India, Monday Dec. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

People are reflected in a mirror with bullet holes at Cafe Leopold, one of the several places where terrorists shot at people, after it reopened in Mumbai, India, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

An Indian soldier runs to take cover in front of the Taj Mahal hotel as Indian troops and militants battle in Mumbai, Nov. 29, 2008. (AP Photo)

In this Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008, fire engulfs a part of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)

The scene at the site of a blast in Coilaba, a market in downtown Mumbai, India. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)

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How could so few young guys take a city down? Somehow these men owned us. They took over our city. - Mumbai resident Rangoli Garg

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How 10 Young Men 'Took Over Our City'