Mumbai: 60-hour siege brought to a close

Mumbai: After taking a massive hit to his body, which catapulted him clear through a ground floor window onto the ground outside, the third - and last - terrorist gunman still holding out at the hotel Taj was accounted for by the Black Cat commandos of the National Security Guards (NSG). The tumbling body of the terrorist also heralded the end of a 60-hr long siege of three commercial and residential premises in south Mumbai by Pakistan-based terrorist agencies.

 The NSG is conducting mopping up operations, which are expected to continue for some time.

"Three terrorists have been killed but we are still continuing our operations," the director general of NSG, JK Dutt, told reporters outside the hotel.

"There was lot of shooting. Grenades were lobbed and explosives were used by the terrorists," he said.

The 105-year old heritage hotel would have seen many a drama over its century old existence, but surely nothing compared to what it underwent over the previous 60-odd hours.

With the drama in Mumbai coming to an end the scene of action now shifts to New Delhi, where a cornered government tries to firm up a credible response to the crisis.