Islamists claim responsibility for India attacks

Army commandos laid siege Thursday to two luxury hotels in Mumbai where gunmen held faround 200 foreign guests hostage as part of coordinated attacks across India's financial capital that killed at least 101 and injured hundreds.

A group calling itself the "Deccan Mujahedeen" claimed responsibility for the attacks late Wednesday night on the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Trident hotels, and eight other locations, including the main train station, a hospital and an up-market restaurant.

Meanwhile European nations announced plans to send a plane to rescue their stranded citizens, Spain's consul in the city said Thursday afternoon.

"I know that there are two initiatives: one from the Spanish government to send a plane, and an initiative on the European level to send a larger plane to allow all Europeans to travel," Cesar Alba said on Spanish National Radio.

The demands

One of the gunmen involved in Wednesday's multiple attacks told a television channel he belonged to an Indian Islamist group seeking an end to the persecution of Indian Muslims.

Identifying himself as a member of the Deccan Mujahedeen, the gunman, who was holed up in the Oberoi hotel, called for the release of all fellow Islamic militants detained in India.

"There are seven of us inside hotel Oberoi," the man identified as Sahadullah told India TV.

"We want all Mujahedeens held in India released and only after that we will release the people."

"Release all the Mujahedeens, and Muslims living in India should not be troubled," he told the India TV channel by phone from inside the hotel, which was surrounded by army commandos.

Foreign hostages

Some foreign tourists were reported to be among the dead.

Witnesses said the gunmen had specifically chosen U.S. and British citizens to take hostage.

British businessman Alex Chamberlain told the Sky network that sgunmen conducted national profiling in the Oberoi.

"They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, 'don't be a hero, don't say you are British'," Chamberlain said.

Frequent bursts gunfire in and around the two five-star hotels continued to be heard on Thursday morning.

The head of Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Squad, Hemant Karkare, was one of at least 11 security personnel killed in the shootouts.

Army commandos stormed the Taj hotel in the early hours of the morning, apparently leading to the release of some guests inside, with television footage showing people being shepherded out of the building.

Shortly afterwards, the upper floors of the landmark hotel became engulfed in flames.

Police said two gunmen were shot dead, but two more were still believed to be holed up inside the hotel.

Fire engines were brought in to rescue trapped guests through their windows.

We want all Mujahedeens held in India released and only after that we will release the people,

Member of Deccan Mujahedeen identified as Sahadullah

Railway station, hospital

Another siege was in progress at Nariman House, an office building that houses a Jewish center. The chairman of the Indian Jewish Federation, Jonathan Solomon, said a rabbi and his family was being held inside by gunmen.

Earlier, several men armed with AK-47 rifles had stormed the passenger hall of Mumbai's main Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, firing indiscriminately and throwing grenades.

Firing was also reported at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, and three people were reported killed in what police called a "bomb blast" in a taxi in the southeast of the city.

Worldwide condemnation

The United States and Britain led global condemnation, with Washington describing the attacks as "horrific", and U.S. president-elect Barack Obama pledging to work with India to "root out and destroy terrorist networks".

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the "outrageous" attacks would be met with a "vigorous response."

India has witnessed a wave of coordinated attacks in recent months.

A little-known Islamic group, the Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahedeen, claimed responsibility for serial blasts last month in India's northeast state of Assam that claimed nearly 80 lives.

Six weeks earlier, the capital New Delhi had been hit by a series of bombs in crowded markets that left more than 20 dead.

Those blasts were claimed by a group calling itself the Indian Mujahedeen.