India solemnly marked the 17th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks on Wednesday, honoring the 166 lives lost and the bravery of security forces and ordinary citizens who confronted one of the deadliest urban sieges in modern history.

The coordinated assault by ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, who infiltrated the city by sea from Karachi on November 26, 2008, targeted iconic landmarks including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Leopold Café, Cama Hospital, and Nariman House, deliberately chosen to maximize casualties and global impact.

The four-day ordeal ended only after National Security Guard commandos stormed the sites, neutralising nine terrorists and capturing Ajmal Kasab alive, whose trial and 2012 execution provided irrefutable evidence of Pakistan-based planning and execution The attacks claimed 166 lives, including 18 police and NSG personnel, and left over 300 injured, exposing critical gaps in coastal defense and crisis response that prompted sweeping reforms in India’s security architecture.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led political tributes, posting, X: “My humble tribute to the brave soldiers and common citizens who were martyred in the Dussahasi terrorist attack in Mumbai on 26/11. India will never forget their courage, sacrifice, and martyrdom.” Similar messages came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Memorial events unfolded across the city, with wreath-laying ceremonies at the 26/11 police memorial near Marine Drive and inside the restored Taj Hotel. Survivors, kin of victims, and serving officers paid respects to fallen heroes such as ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, and ASI Tukaram Omble, who grappled unarmed with Kasab to enable his capture. Seventeen years on, the rebuilt Taj dome illuminated in tricolor stood as a symbol of defiance and renewal.

While the physical scars have healed, the emotional and strategic imprint endures. Families continue to demand faster justice against the remaining handlers in Pakistan, and annual observances reinforce Mumbai’s vow of resilience and vigilance against terrorism.

As the nation remembered the horrors of that November night, the message remained unequivocal: Mumbai, and India, will never forget and will never again be caught unprepared.

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