India remembers Mumbai terrorist attacks

(November 27, 2009) Mumbai held tearful memorials and police staged a show of strength on Thursday as India's financial hub marked the first anniversary of militant raids that killed more than 160 people and pushed up tensions with Pakistan. Onlookers waved Indian flags and banners with slogans such as "End The Violence" as police commandos with new weapons and armoured cars tracked the route taken by the 10 gunmen who staged the attack. The attacks, which began on 26 November 2008 and lasted nearly three days, left 174 people dead, including nine gunmen. The only surviving attacker, Pakistani Mohammad Ajmal Qasab, is currently being held in India. On Wednesday, a court in Pakistan charged seven people in connection with the attacks, including alleged mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi - head of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Mumbai gunmen staged co-ordinated attacks at a number of sites, including the CST railway station and two luxury hotels. Residents lit candles outside the Nariman House Jewish community centre, one of several sites targeted by the Pakistan-based militants.