Mumbai, Nov 26 (IANS): On the eighth anniversary of the 26/11 terror strikes, Mumbai paused to remember the 166 victims, including the martyrs and other bravehearts, who were killed by 10 Pakistani militants, here on Saturday.
The official commemoration event was held at Police Gymkhana where Maharashtra Governor C. V. Rao laid a wreath and led the state in paying homage to all those who lost their lives in the terror attacks.
The militants, who sneaked in through the Arabian Sea route, struck at multiple locations within a small geographical area in south Mumbai.
The attacks and the counter-terorr operations by multiple security agencies, continue for 60 hours between the night of Wednesday November 26 till the dawn of Saturday, November 29, 2008.
Present at the solemn memorial were Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Director-General of Police Satish Mathur, Mumbai Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, several parliamentarians and legislators.
Besides, the guests included the widows, orphans and other family members of the martyrs and victims who remembered their near and dear ones lost in the 26/11 attacks, besides train and bus commuters and the common Mumbaikars.
Similar rememberence functions were organised at important targeted sites like Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Hotel Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Hotel Trident-Oberoi, Nariman House-Chabad House, Leopold Café and others.
Several other functions, peace marches, memorial concerts and condolence meetings are scheduled later in the day to mark the eighth anniversary of 26/11.