Indian intelligent services thwarted a planned terrorist attack against Israelis at the Chabad House in Mumbai.
Two Pakistani suspects were arrested. They reportedly intended to carry out the attack in the coming days and were in possession of explosives, a drone and Google images of Nariman House, a five-story building in the Colaba area of South Mumbai.
“The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) found some Google images from the accused of Chabad House located at Colaba. They informed us. Accordingly, we have beefed up the security at Chabad House, which already has very high security. A mock drill was also carried out on Thursday at the center and outside area,” an officer from the Colaba police station told the Hindustan Times.
The ATS took into custody Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan, 23, and Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki, 24, the English-language daily reported on Sunday.
Channel 12 reported on Monday that the “Israeli security system” assisted Indian intelligence services in foiling the planned attack.
The Chabad center was attacked in November 2008 by terrorists who fanned out across India’s largest city.
Pakistani Islamist terrorists wreaked havoc in Mumbai, killing men, women and children in hotels, a train station and on the streets. A total of 175 people died and more than 300 were wounded in 12 coordinated attacks. Nine terrorists were neutralized in the rampage.
Two of the attackers held several residents hostage in the Chabad House. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, who was six months pregnant, were murdered along with four other hostages inside the house. Their 2-year-old son Moshe survived, saved by his Indian nanny.