Photos from Mumbai

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.daylife.com/photos



Photo from Reuters Pictures
3 hours ago: People grieve after a series of attacks in Mumbai November 26, 2008. At least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks apparently aimed at tourists in India's financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday night.





Photo from Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images
45 mins ago: Rescue workers carry on the rescue act at the site of attack in the Colaba area of Mumbai on November 27, 2008. Nearly 80 people were killed in a series of shootings and blasts across India's financial capital Mumbai late 26 November, the state government said. The Maharashtra state government said the death toll had risen to 78, according to the Press Trust of India news agency, and that six Indian army units had been deployed to the south of the city. Heavily armed men with automatic weapons and grenades targeted two of Mumbai's top luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and Trident, and the main Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station.



38 mins ago: The Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, is caught fire after an attack in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on early Thursday morning November 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.


Photo from Reuters Pictures
1 hour ago: Onlookers stand at the site of a bomb blast in Mumbai November 26, 2008. At least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks apparently aimed at tourists in India's financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday night, with television channels saying Westerners were being held hostage at two five-star hotels. At least 250 people have been wounded, police said.

Photo from AP Photo
43 mins ago: The Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, is caught fire after an attack in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on early Thursday morning November 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.

Photo from Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images
1 hour ago: Indian policemen prepare to take position in the Colaba area of Mumbai on November 27, 2008. Nearly 80 people were killed in a series of shootings and blasts across India's financial capital Mumbai late 26 November, the state government said. The Maharashtra state government said the death toll had risen to 78, according to the Press Trust of India news agency, and that six Indian army units had been deployed to the south of the city. Heavily armed men with automatic weapons and grenades targeted two of Mumbai's top luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and Trident, and the main Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station.





Photo from AP Photo
59 mins ago: The Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, is caught fire after an attack in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on early Thursday morning November 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.

[Muttocracy]

1. thanks - BBC has a thread of them too (some graphic)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7751360.stm

[TheMightyFavog]

2. Fifth Picture down...

Is that a Lee-Enfield Rifle that police officer is holding?

If it is, I didn't think any police or military force still used those things much less a nation a technilogically advanced as India.

[appal_jack]

3. India produced their own in through 1960's

The Ishapore Enfield 2A and 2A1 in 7.62 Nato were produced as India's military was transitioning from .303 Enfields to a variant of the FAL I believe. This allowed them to standardize ammo (7.62 Nato) yet make use of the existing tooling left at the Ishapore factory that the Brits left behind. Even then, the Ishapore Enfield was intended as a home guard / behind the front lines weapon, but it would certainly still serve well as such.

I wasn't aware that Ishy's were still in service in India, but they are quality rifles. I bought one a while back (India has surplus'ed a bunch, many of which hit the US market over the last few years, but have not yet cleaned the (heavy) cosmoline off it (and therefore of course have not fired it). It has the smooth-as-silk Enfield action though, so I'm looking forward to having the time to do so.

I feel blessed that target-shooting is merely a sport here in the peaceful USA, and my heart goes out to the citizens of India for the tragedy they are enduring today. I wish the brave soldier with that Enfield and all his compatriots every success in apprehending and stopping the terrorists there.

-app

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. I was thinking the same thing.

In these times, that is a woefully inadequate weapon, against the firepower that the perpetrators seem to be wielding. Bolt action, somewhat accurate but not stunning, marginal round on the Hatcher Scale. Another thing to consider, after seeing those rifles: what is the age of the ammunition that these police have been issued? That can be a big issue.

On edit: if the above post is true, and those rifles are chambered for 7.62, then those police have a bit more of an edge.

[TheMightyFavog]

5. Only thing I could think that one of those weapons would be good for would be sniping.

But that police officer isn't dressed as a sniper should be.

Then again, It's probably all hands on deck, there wasn't enough FAL clones (or whatever they would normally use in thtat situation) to go around.

[seemslikeadream]

6. here's another photo

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

8. Jeebus.

No body armor. No CQC gear. No apparent reloads. Just old firearms. Yeesh.

Those poor bastards.

[seemslikeadream]

14. here's one more

Photo from AP Photo
2 hours ago: Army soldiers take position outside the Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, after an terror attack in Mumbai on Wednesday night November 26, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.

[appal_jack]

13. wow, maybe those ARE .303's

On pages 3 & 4 of the pdf-link I posted on the 7.62 Enfield 2A below, it shows the difference in the magazines for each, and that steep slope to the front looks more like the No. 1 Mark 3.

-app

edit to add that this means that they are REALLY reaching deep into the armories for this response, as these rifles would have been considered completely obsolete by the 1970's.

and edit again to state that it's harder to tell which Enfields are in use in the photos of the OP and at the BBC link I posted in response #9.

[BunkerHill24]

15. Rifles look half the size of the officers...weird!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

7. As much as I hate violence...

And lord knows, I do, I am not one of those who thinks that by thinking nice thoughts at those who would institute violence will make them stop and reconsider their actions. Thus, my years spent in martial arts.

When the shit comes down, it is nice to have the equipment and tactics that gives you an edge in the conflict. Evidently, the Indian authorities do not have that edge, for whatever reasons: culture, lassitude, disinterest, whatever.

If anything good comes out of this, and if this is like other incidents of this type, precious little good will come out of it, I hope the Indian Government reviews and revamps its loadout and training for situations like this one.

Someone just upped the ante on the game, in a big way.

[TheMightyFavog]

10. But then again...

Sometimes you have to make do with what you have where you are.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. Yup.

You don't have to like it, you just have to do it.

[appal_jack]

9. Google 'Enfield Minute' and reconsider

Of course, current guardsmen probably don't train with Enfields like the old-timers did. The Enfield is no modern battle rifle of course, but could still be an effective tool for police in a situation like today.


I think that you are right about it being all hands on deck. A combination of SMLE's and modern battle rifles (FAL's?) can be seen at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7751360.stm

-app

[appal_jack]

12. Link for the history of the Enfield 2A

www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2006/762ishy/pdf/762ishy.pdf

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

16. After reading that .pdf...

And looking at the pictures, a lot of the rifles in the pictures are old .303's.

I reiterate: poor bastards.