The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE terror attacks in Mumbai, India's financial centre, killing more than 143 people and injuring over 288 others from Wednesday night till Friday evening is a shock of extreme proportions. The luxury Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi, another five star hotel, a tourist restaurant, a Jewish centre and two hospitals came under attack. The dead included eight foreigners.

The well-coordinated strikes by small bands of gunmen started with shooters spraying gunfire across the Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station. For two hours, there was an attack roughly every 15 minutes. By Friday evening Indian commandoes cleared besieged Oberoi hotel and the Jewish centre while fighting was nearing end at the Taj hotel. A number of gunmen have been gunned down by Indian troops in assaults on the besieged two hotels and the Jewish centre from air and ground.

Indian troops assured Friday evening that the operation was likely to be over in hours giving a sigh of relief that the ordeal of hundreds of survivors have come to an end and with it the anxiety of their near and dear ones. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blamed "external forces" for the violence - a phrase sometimes used to refer to Pakistani militants. Pakistan's DefenCe Minister Ahmed Mukhtar responded: "I will say in very categoric terms that Pakistan is not involved in these gory incidents."

We have no language to condemn the Mumbai attacks. It however needs be emphasised that killing against killing or counter-terrorism against terrorism has not solved these problems. President Bush's war on terror has not met with success. Those who made the attacks and were prepared to die might have a strong cause, right or wrong. The reason for their anger should be known to address the same for terror attacks not to recur.