Thursday, March 12, 2009

Similarities in Mumbai and Lahore attack: NY police chief

Times of India
12 Mar 2009, 1353 hrs IST, PTI

WASHINGTON: As attackers of Sri Lankan cricketers continued to elude police, experts have found similarities between Mumbai and Lahore strikes and have cited evidence to show that terrorists were changing tactics to go for commando-style operations over suicide bombings.

Intelligence division of the New York Police Department (NYPD) have carried out a study of the twin terrorists strikes and said there was evidence of a "shift in tactics" from suicide bombs to a commando-style military assault with small team of highly trained, heavily armed operatives launching simultaneous, sustained attacks.

Testifying before a Congressional sub-committee on Mumbai terrorist attack yesterday, the New York City police commissioner, Raymond W Kelly has said "We are paying very close attention to this trend."

Appearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Kelly also pointed out other similarities as choice of location: dense, relatively unprotected urban areas where the terrorists could establish strategic choke points to impede the response of authorities.

This was the fourth hearing by a Congressional committee on Mumbai attack, which killed more than 170 people including several American nationals.

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