Explained | Lessons India learnt in the aftermath of 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai

India on Sunday (Nov 26) marked the 15th year anniversary of the gruesome terror attack (26/11) perpetrated by Pakistan-based terrorists in the financial capital Mumbai city.

Ten terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba launched carefully coordinated assaults across the city on that fateful day that last for four days. It left at least 166 people dead, including foreigners and children, and more than 300 injured, and soured the ties between India and Pakistan.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his monthly radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat’, said that India cannot never forget when it faced its most heinous attack, and reiterated India’s unwavering commitment to eradicating terrorism.

“We can never forget this day when India faced its most heinous terror attack,” PM Modi said. 

Many years have passed, but the scar inflicted remains etched in people’s memories, as India continues to press Pakistan to provide justice to the victims of the terror attacks.

But the incident also left an indelible mark on the efficiency of the Indian intelligence apparatus as the attack exposed the country’s glaring security gaps in the sea surveillance, from where the terrorists first landed, and the security, intelligence sharing and inter-force coordination.

The fact that the attacks went on for more than 60 hours served as a major embarrassment for the country despite the presence of highly-trained Mumbai Police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG) and Marine Commandos (MARCOS).

The 26/11 attackers reached Mumbai by travelling via the Arabian Sea from Karachi city. They reportedly hijacked an Indian fishing trawler and sailed to Mumbai by taking the captain as the hostage.

The ease with which the LeT terrorists landed in Mumbai had exposed gaping holes in India’s maritime surveillance to protect the coastal cities.

In light of this, the Indian Navy took overall charge of maritime security, while the Indian Coast Guard was tasked with monitoring territorial waters and coordinate with hundreds of new marine police stations that came up along India’s coastline.

A separate division within the navy was formed called Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) and the government inducted fast interceptor crafts (FIC) for patrol and rescue operations in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Till November 2021, more than 300 coastal security exercises were conducted with state authorities by the Indian Coast Guard since the 26/11 attack.

Furthermore, all the vessels which are longer than 20 metres and heavier than 300 gross tonnages were mandated to have an Automatic Identification System (AIS) which transmits its identification and other information.

Moreover, Sea Vigil, an extensive coastal defence exercise conceptualised in 2018, has been carried out yearly since 2019 by the Indian Navy in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard and agencies involved in the tasks of maritime activities.

In the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks, the Indian government created the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a premier agency mandated to investigate and prosecute terrorism-related cases affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of the country.

India’s counter-terrorism capabilities have also now improved by leaps and bounds. National Security Guard (NSG) hubs have been set up in different states in order to ensure a rapid response to terror attacks.

Moreover, India strengthened the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB’s) Multi Agency Centre (MAC), whose primary job is to coordinate the exchange of intelligence between central agencies, the armed forces, and the state police.

Sub-units of MACs that had gone defunct were reinstated, and regular meetings were made mandatory for real-time exchange of information and analysis.

India’s intelligence-sharing with premier Western agencies like the FBI and MI6 has improved since 2008.

The US made a pivotal role in the arrest of David Coleman Headley, the man who conducted the reconnaissance for the 26/11 attacks, and provided crucial information on the way the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan with active involvement of the ISI.

Now India can expect timely actionable intelligence well before a dastardly terror attack.

Better cooperation and understanding from several countries resulted in stemming the flow of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan in grey list, forcing the country to take action against the terror infrastructure of the LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).

The union government increased allocation of budgets for state police and make stations state-of-the-art. Particularly, Mumbai Police were given armoured bullet-proof vehicles, explosives scanners, Sealegs Amphibious Boats, speed boats in the Arabian Sea to monitor suspicious movements along the city coast along with ICG and IN ships and coastal patrols.

Moreover, emphasis was given on the creation of crack commando teams among all police forces. And the National Security Guard (NSG) established four regional hubs across the country.

(With inputs from agencies)