A New and Deadly dawn

11/26 terror attack in Mumbai was very different from the three high profile terrorist attacks in recent years- 9/11 New York (death toll 2974) , 3/11 Madrid (191 dead, 1755 injured) , 7/7 London (52 died, 700 injured).

Consider this- while all the three attacks took place when bombers on suicide mission either rammed aircrafts in the buildings or blew up commuter trains, the ten terrorists in Mumbai barricaded themselves at 3 locations and for 3 days exchanged fire with the law enforcement agencies and elite commandos. The act of terror At Mumbai continued long after the local authorities became aware of the attacks! In contrast in all the other three incidents the authorities knew of the attacks only after the attacks had concluded. There was nothing surreptitious about the long and tragic incident at Mumbai.

Clearly the 10 young men who took Mumbai virtually hostage, were not your garden verity suicide bombers bent on blowing their target and obliterating themselves in an instant, before police could be wiser. They dared to openly challenge the full might of a sovereign state, drew heavy fire and fought till all, but one, were shot dead! While the spell of religious fanaticism can create a brief hypnotic spell or brainwash individuals for a few hours, enough to trigger an attack and cause instantaneous death, one wonders about the nature of indoctrination or the force of evil that fed such a strong death wish and rampage killing of innocent with no compunction lasting 3 long days in the face of certain death.

Evolving Terror ?

Gone are the individuals in explosive laden suicide vests (one of them took life of one of India’s ex Prime Minister) or slabs of RDX hidden in sub-urban trains or trash bags. The Mumbai carnage points to a BIG change in terror tactics, and of a new breed of young misguided foot soldiers programed by an extreme ideology to stand up in defiance, and, like a killing machine, continue to wreck havoc till put to the end. Does this signal a change in Modus operandi, something that is far more sinister?

Incidentally those of you who watched A Wednesday may wonder if this was some sort of a self fulfilling prophecy!