Rajnath Singh pays tribute to victims of 26/11 attacks; to visit Mumbai today

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday paid tributes to the victims of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and said that he will attend a program at the Gateway of India and listen to the 'Stories of Strength' of some of the terror attack survivors. "My heartfelt tributes to those who lost their lives in 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack. I salute the courage of all security forces who fought fearlessly against the terrorists that day. We also salute the fortitude of the victims' families as they have been an inspiration for us," Singh tweeted.

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"I shall be visiting Mumbai to attend a program organized at the Gateway of India and listen to the 'Stories of Strength' of some of the survivors of Mumbai Terror attack," he said in a follow-up tweet. Singh underlined that terror is a crime against humanity and will be defeated with firm conviction and collective willpower.

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"On the 11th anniversary of Mumbai Attack, let us take a pledge that these sacrifices will not go in vain. Let us collectively ensure that 26/11 is never repeated in future. Terrorism is a crime against humanity and it will be defeated with firm conviction & collective will power," Rajnath Singh tweeted.

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26/11 tragedy

Eleven years ago on this day, Mumbai was terribly shattered when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists intruded in Mumbai via sea route from Pakistan and carried out coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across the city. On November 26, 2008, 10 members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba marched into the city of Mumbai through the Arabian sea from Pakistan, and over the course of the four days that followed, 166 innocent citizens and security forces were killed while more than 300 were injured. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, Cama Hospital, Nariman House business and residential complex, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel and Tower, and the Oberoi-Trident Hotel fell prey to terrorism. While the nine terrorists were killed, the lone terrorist Ajmal Kasab was captured alive and sentenced to death at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in 2012. Eleven years on, the country, pays its homage and tributes to the martyrs, who lost their lives in the attacks and safeguarded the city. 

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