Mumbai: It was 12 years ago on November 26, the country witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Today marks the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in India’s history that left 190 people dead and more than 300 injured. ALSO READ | Dilli Chalo Movement: Police On High Alert As Farmers March To Capital City; DMRC Services Hit In honouring the martyrs and people who lost their lives on this day, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray visited the newly-built memorial at the police headquarters in south Mumbai. Leaders offered floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists on this day in 2008. Even family members of the martyrs police personnel also paid their tribute to the bravehearts.
Param Bir Singh, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, also paid tribute to the martyrs on the social media platform remembering the day while Mumbai Police said their sacrifice can never be erased from the memory of time and history.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar also paid tributes to the martyrs and expressed gratitude on microblogging site Twitter as well. "Tributes to martyrs from the police and other security forces who laid their lives in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. As we condole with the families who lost their near ones in the attack, we should (also) resolve to intensify our fight against terrorism," the former Union minister tweeted.
On this day several Israelis were also targeted and the community hold ceremonies to pay respects to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Israelis and Indian students also paid respects to the victims in Jerusalem, Rehovot and Tel Aviv while ceremonies are planned in Beersheva and Eilat on Thursday. Among those who laid their lives are the then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Mumbai's Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Kamte, Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tukaram Omble. From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to posh hotels including the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Hotel, Leopold Cafe and Cama Hospital to the Nariman House Jewish community centre, now renamed Nariman Light House, were among the destinations targeted. The security forces, including the country's elite commando force NSG killed nine terrorists during the exercise. In 2012, Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist who was captured alive was hanged four years later on November 21.