As the phone transcripts of the attacks in Mumbai are released, it offers grim reality of a mob-like movie hit as instructions ring loud on both ends.
The Pakistani-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, directed the mob-like attack that left some 164 dead in the wake of their attack. Lasting nearly 3 days, the attackers used several mobile phones, including those that belonged to hostages, to stay in contact with their “handler.”
According to Indian authorities, they began to intercept calls that came from not only inside the hotel, but also inside the Jewish center where six Jewish persons were outed. Some interception was done via the Internet, as it was one way the handler routed their calls.
The following are reports of conversation between the gunmen and the handler(s) as reported by The AP:
“There are three ministers and one secretary of the cabinet in your hotel. We don’t know in which room,” the handler told a gunman inside the Taj Mahal hotel at 3:10 am on the first night of the attack.
“Oh! That is good news. It is icing on the cake!” the gunman said.
While in the Jewish center, as directed by the handler, the message was “If you are still threatened, then don’t saddle yourself with the burden of the hostages. Immediately kill them.”
As the handlers seemed to spur more attacks, citing to “be strong in the name of Allah,” they later instructed them to keep fighting as it “is a matter of prestige of Islam.”
However, the most disturbing realization the attackers were not acting alone was when the handler said during the attacks, “Keep your phone switched on so that we can hear the gunfire.”