They Came by Boat: The 2008 Terrorist Attack on Mumbai

Since the 1980s, militancy in Kashmir has been a particular source of discord between India and Pakistan. The three major terrorist groups active in Kashmir include Harakat ul‐Mujahideen; Jaish‐e‐Mohammed; and Lashkar‐e‐Taiba. On November 23, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani young men and unleashed terrorist attacks using machine guns and grenades on seven locations around Mumbai, killing approximately 173 people and injuring 293 over the next 3 days. The Mumbai attacks were unique because collectively, the event caused a transnational crisis, claiming lives of Indians as well as people of various nationalities who were especially targeted; the attacks were perpetrated on multiple high profile, elite locations in Mumbai; they unfolded live on television; the attacks were carried out by terrorists under the close guidance of handlers in Pakistan. The stakeholders who were impacted are described and the strategies and tactics adopted by some as response to the crisis are examined.