26/11 terror attacks: Read about the tragedy that shook the nation, details here

The 12th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai,  is being observed today, with the police organizing an event to pay their respects to the martyred officers, which will be attended by limited number of people keeping in mind the pandemic restriction.

The ceremony will be held at the newly-built memorial at the police headquarters in South Mumbai. It will be attended by the family members of the martyred police and security personnel, the official said on Wednesday.

Maharashtra Chief Minister, Home Minister, the DGP, and other VIPs  will offer their homage to the brave victims of the attacks.

A lookback at what happened:

On November 26, 2008, 10 men, who were actually terrorists of the group Lashkar-e-Taiba from Pakistan arrived by sea and open fired on multiple locations. More than 160 people including 18 police officers and two NSG commandoes were killed. Around 310 others were injured as the counter-attack by security forces continued for almost 60 hours.

9 terrorists were killed by the National Security Guard (NSG), the best and the most top-notch commando force in India.

Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, The then ATS chief Hemant Karkare  and Mumbai’s additional police commissioner Ashok Kamte were among those killed in the attack.

Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist who was captured alive, was hanged four years later in the year 2012.

In the Aftermath

•February 25, 2009 - Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab ‎, the only surviving gunman, is officialy charged.

•October 3, 2009 - US citizen David Coleman Headley also known by his alias Daood Gilani gets arrested in Chicago. He is accused of hunting out locations of targets in the said attack.

•October 18, 2009 -  Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian Citizen is taken in custody in the city of Chicago. He is accused of smoothing out the 2008 attacks by helping Headley in obtaining fake credentials to travel to Pakistan. 

•November 25, 2009 - The alleged mastermind, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvian and seven other men are arrested in Pakistan in connection to the attacks. 

•March 18, 2010 - Headley pleads guilty and is sentenced 35 years in prison.

•May 6, 2010 - Kasab gets convicted for a conspiracy to execute war in India and is sentenced to death by hanging.

Ajmal Kasab as spotted in a CCTV footage holding ammunition 

•June 9, 2011 - Tahawwur Hussain Rana is found Not guilty of conspiring in facilitating the Mumbai Attacks.

•November 17-18, 2012 - Kasab is Hanged at 7:30 a.m. in Yerawada prison in Mumbai.

•March 13, 2015 - The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan, after calling his detention illegal orders the release of Lakhvi.

•January 29, 2017 - Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the leader of a group associated with the terrorist Group responsible for the Mumbai attacks Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, is placed under house arrest in Pakistan for his suspected role in the Mumbai attacks.

•November 24, 2017 - Lahore High Court freed Saeed from house arrest because lack of evidence. The United States, who considers Saeed as the leader of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, said it was "deeply concerning" on his release.

•July 17, 2019 - Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department arrests Saeed on charges unrelated to the Mumbai attacks.

•February 12, 2020 - Saeed is declared guilty of terror financing charges and sentenced two prison terms of five and half years, to run simultaneously.

by- Amodita Joshi