MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS: A ‘Planned’ Operation Designed to Create Chaos

By Walid Phares
FOX News Contributor/Terror Expert

As we write this first assessment of the Terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, events are still ongoing inside the financial center of the Indian subcontinent. Here are the main points gathered so far:

Type of Operation

According to sources in Mumbai, armed groups and individuals have attacked at least eight (if not more) targets inside the city including the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel (with most foreign tourists or guests, a railway Station, the Leopold Café and other locations. More shooting incidents are also being reported at the Trident hotel, a hospital and a highway leading to the airport and Assembly Hall. The terrorists fired indiscriminately against civilians and security elements, and lobbed grenades. At this writing sources are reporting between 40 to 80 to 100 deaths, more than 100 wounded and possible hostage taking. According to the same sources AK-47s, small arms, grenade were used. At least three foreigners are dead according to reports.

Design of the operations

In our estimate, this attack is a “complex” type, where small operations are aimed at creating chaos and triggering security deployment in many areas, while more precise operations could target higher targets such as hostage taking or similar situation.

Perpetrators

In view of the historical context, the precedents and latest analysis, the most likely groups that may be behind these attacks are the Lashkar e Toiba/SIMI (they now call themselves Indian Mujaheedin). These groups are Jihadists, have links to the other organizations in Kashmir but also inside Pakistan with pro-Taliban elements and eventually Al Qaeda. The ideological identification is most likely Jihadist although the group almost surely will issue a release to claim the attack.

According to my sources this is a “planned” operation of a very new type India. “Young boys ages 22 to 25 carried out these acts and bombs have been defused at different places. In our estimate this is a large Jihadi operation against one of the emerging economies and one of the largest democracies in Asia. The goal is to target India as a power engaged in the War on Terror but also to further destabilize the region, including Pakistan and its neighbor Afghanistan.”


Source: foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com