The Story as it is Happening.

I have been flipping back and forth between BBC, CNN, and CNN-IBN (India's local CNN channel) and have noticed that a lot of information and footage has been left off of the Western/International News Feeds. So here is the information, mostly from IBN as I know it.

Sometime around 830-9pm last night A large group of fashionably dressed, well-groomed, 20-something men (their pictures are on Indian tv, not on international... there were at least 26 of them) with AK-47s, MP5s, magazines (ammunition cartridges) strapped to their arms and legs, and backpacks full of grenades got off of boats near India Gate in Colaba. Colaba is the main district where tourists, from backpackers to businessmen, stay in Mumbai.

They placed bombs at the monument and spread out. Shooting began at Leopold restaurant (one of the most famous places for tourists to have dinner, grab a drink, and generally hang out... really old, think it opened in the late 1800s) around 9:15. The Indian channels are showing the inside of the restaurant with pools of blood, shell casings and tourist shoes. Western channels aren't showing this.

Around 10pm they began firing at security personnel at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, mumbai's most famous hotel and a landmark in its own right. There were at least 2,000 people inside. At least 200 people were being held hostage in one of the major halls at one point. Reports say that the terrorists were checking people for identification, looking for Brits and Americans. The terrorists ran through the halls of the hotel shooting whoever they saw and throwing at least 10-15 grenades. There are still 40-100 people still being held hostage in the Taj. Reports say that security measures were decreased at the hotel (from 2 metal detectors and baggage x-rays to one metal detector) sometime in the past two weeks. Terrorists have used RDX to bomb one of the penthouses and the lobby. There are still fires burning in the hotel and are still at least 5-6 terrorists inside. There are many european MEPs still being held hostage and at least one killed (probably from spain) who were in town for an economic summit

Around the same time, about a kilometer east of the taj, terrorists opened fire at the oberoi, also a $300+ a night hotel. There were at least 1000 people in the hotel. The terrorists are still holding at least 40 people hostage. The terrorists bombed the lobby when the army tried to enter, severely delaying rescue attempts. Again witnesses report terrorists were specifically targeting foreign guests.

Around 1030 terrorists began opening fire and throwing grenades at mumbai's main train station killing at least 3 and beginning a firefight with police officers.

Around the same time a car bomb went off at mumbai's domestic airport terminal in a taxi.

At least 3 car bombs have gone off in Vile Parle's Juhu area, known for being the homes of many bollywood actors and foreigners. The Marriot hotel, also in this area was bombed. There were some reports Jewish/Israeli people were being targeted.

The headquarters of an orthodox jewish charity, Chabad Lubavitch, is under siege and is still the sight of gun battles between terrorits and police. There are still many people being held hostage. This has not been reported on western channels as far as I know.

Terrorists took over parts of the Cama Hospital, where victims from the attacks were being brought for care. There was a long gun battle between terrorists and police. All of the terrorists were killed or arrested. This is where the top three Mumbai anti-terrorism police were killed.

There were CNN-IBN reporters at the Metro Cinema when a police van (apparently hijacked by terrorists) opened fire on a crowd, blowing off two fingers of a CNN-IBN crew member and killing an anti-terrorism offcer. The complete video of this attack is being shown on Indian tv, but has been heavily censored or not shown at all on western channels. Another reporter for IBN has just been shot at outside the Oberoi on live tv but is unhurt.

The top three anti-terrorism police in Mumbai have all been killed.

There are reports that weapons manufactured in pakistan have been found with the bodies of the terrorists.

There are at least 100 dead and 187 injured.

Around 2pm there was an end to a hostage situation in one of the hotels. IBN says oberoi, bbc says taj.

Ok, that's it for now... I'll keep you updated as the attacks are still on-going.