The Hindu : Temple siege ends

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 26, 2002

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Temple siege ends

By Manas Dasgupta

Commandos coming out of the Akshardham temple after a `darshan' at the end of their operation on Wednesday. — Photo: Paras Shah

GANDHINAGAR Sept. 25. The siege of the Akshardham temple complex of the Swaminarayan sect here ended during the small hours of today after a night-long commando operation. The two terrorists who stormed it on Tuesday evening were killed.

A total of 29 devotees, including 16 women and four children, were killed in the terrorist attack and 74 were injured, a few of them seriously.

A National Security Group commando was also killed and one critically wounded in the operation. And two State police commandos lost their lives while rescuing the people trapped in the complex before the NSG men took position.

Though the identity of the terrorists is still not known, it is believed that they were members of an unknown and possibly newly-floated organisation, Tehrik-e-Kasas (Movement for Revenge), Gujarat.

This was revealed from two unsigned letters found on their bodies. They were written in Urdu, using red, blue and black ink, and said they wanted "revenge" for the violence against Muslims in the recent Gujarat riots.

They also warned of "serious consequences" if Muslims were attacked again.

The Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, who arrived in Gandhinagar last night, visited the Akshardham complex after the operation.

He was accompanied by the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

Speaking to mediapersons, he, however, gave little credence to the letters and indicated that he believed the attack was Pakistan's handiwork.

The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf's "unnecessary'' reference to Gujarat in his address to the United Nations General Assembly had shown that Pakistan was planning "something like this,'' Mr. Advani said, adding that nothing was known about the antecedents of the Tehrik but a thorough inquiry would be held.

Congratulating the Gujarat Police and the commando forces for another "successful operation'' against terrorism, Mr. Advani, however, advised caution, saying that the killing of the two terrorists might not mean an end to the problem. There could be more terrorists connected to the organisation who might strike "anywhere, anytime."

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