Mumbai seige ends: Aimed to cause fear and project India unsafe says Church

The Mumbai massacre which left more than 150 people dead concluded Saturday, as Indian Commandos gunned down the remaining three militants at the Taj Mahal hotel.

"They were the kind of people with no remorse -- anybody and whomsoever came in front of them they fired," said a commando officer.

TV channels described the attacks as "India's 9/11" and confirmed that 155 people were dead and 327 others wounded.

Around 21 foreigners were among those killed, including the Israelis (a Rabbi and his wife), two Americans, two French nationals, two Australians, a German, a Japanese, a Canadian, a British Cypriot, an Italian and a Singaporean.

On Friday, almost 100 people were rescued from a second hotel, and six bodies were found at a Jewish centre.

India's foreign minister has said "elements with links to Pakistan" were involved in the attacks on Mumbai.

Church people meanwhile say the terrorist attack was aimed at spreading fear and projecting the country as unsafe.

Michael Pinto, vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities and a Christian, says the latest terrorist attacks were planned to project India as an unsafe destination and hurt its economy.

"The terror attacks have shaken the Church in the city," says Joseph Dias, general secretary of Mumbai-based Catholic Secular Forum. The Church should take a proactive role to broker peace and harmony, Dias said adding his group will try to reach out to the victims and will expose the terrorists trying to disturb peace in the country.

Following the Mumbai seige, investigating agencies and spy outfits of India, United States, United Kingdom and Israel have joined hands to crack terrorism and to expose their method and motive behind the attacks.

Some unconfirmed reports also speak of at least two of the terrorists being British nationals of Pakistani origin, of the kind who were involved in the London underground bombing.