Foreign tourist killed in Mumbai terror attack

MUMBAI: At least two people, one of them a foreign tourist, were killed and nearly 15 injured as suspected terrorists struck in at least seven places, including a busy railway teminus and two five-star hotels, in this commercial capital of India on Wednesday night, officials said.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Ghafoor said the attacks were suspected to be "coordinated terrorist acts", and added that  automatic weapons like AK47 and AK56 and semi-automatic rifles were apparently used. Most of the injured were policemen.

It appeared that small groups of heavily armed terrorists sneaked into busy public places, mostly in south Mumbai, leading to a scare in the metropolis.

Police official said suspected terrorists opened fire at police and paramilitary forces outside the Taj Mahal Hotel in south Mumbai between 10.15 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.

The police officials, who refused to speak on record because it was too early to confirm anything, said firing was on near the five-star hotel where around 2,000 guests and staff were stranded.

The body of a foreign woman guest was recovered from the Taj Mahal Hotel and two terrorists were holed up inside the building, a police official said.

Minutes later, bullets were fired near the Hotel Trident (previously Oberoi) - another five-star hotel - barely a kilometre away from the Taj. At least 1,000 tourists were inside the hotel, which is in a high-security zone and lies just behind the Air India and Maharashtra legislature buildings.

Suspected terrorists also opened indiscriminate firing near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the headquarters of the Central Railway, which is a world heritage building and remains crowded almost throughout the day. A terrorist was hiding inside the railway terminus where thousands of people have been evacuated.

As a precautionary measure, authorities suspended suburban and other railway services.

A bomb blast near Vile Parle also injured many, the police officials said.