Who was responsible for this week’s siege in Mumbai? Some clues had emerged in the Indian metropolis by Thursday night, as the crisis appeared to be winding down, although the fate of several hostages still hung in the balance.


The New York Times:

By midnight, amid early indications that the sieges were ending, fears were growing that the death toll would rise past the more than 119 known. Smoke was still rising from one of the hotels; people who escaped reported stepping around corpses. Dozens, perhaps many more, remained trapped or were held hostage to the heavily armed assailants; their survival was yet to be determined.

There remained much mystery around the group behind the attack, unusual in its scale, its almost theatrical boldness and its targeting locales frequented by wealthy Indians and foreigners.

Two men who claimed to be among the gunmen called local television stations, demanding to speak with the government and complaining about the treatment of Muslims in India and about Kashmir, the disputed territory over which India and Pakistan have fought two wars.

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