They came by sea, on a small skiff, and made their way in the dark through the narrow streets of old Colaba to the six-storey apartment building called Nariman House. There they stayed – an unknown number of mystery gunmen who besieged the building from the inside.

They had taken over the home of members of a small sect of orthodox Jews called the Chabad movement. Just how many gunmen were holed up there is not known, as is the number of dead, the number of escaped and the condition of the hostages, if there were any.

Into this scene entered the black-clad commandos – members of the government's elite national security guard, specialists tasked with securing the safety of the prime minister and other dignitaries. continue...