Armed Attack on Indian Parliament Kills 12 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit [Well, there certainly are a lot of dust-ups happening all over, aren't there? It's enough tomake a nationa want tojoin a war on terrorism...] BBC Online - Dec 13, 2001 http://news.bbc.co.uk Attack on Indian Parliament Kills 12 Delhi, Dec 13 (BBC)--Twelve people have been killed in an unprecedented attack on the Indian parliament in Delhi, officials said. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said it was "a warning to the entire nation" and that India would wage a "do or die" war against terrorism. The motive for the attack by six unidentified gunmen is unknown. Indian Home Minister LK Advani said there were similarities with an October attack on the Kashmir state assembly by separatist militants. But he also suggested that it could be related to the 11 September attacks on the United States - and Health Minister C P Thakur was quoted as saying India had received warnings of a possible attack following the defeat of the Taleban regime in Afghanistan. Indian government officials said all six gunmen had been killed along with six police officers. The attackers, armed with guns and hand grenades, burst into the red sandstone parliament complex shortly before noon local time and started shooting. The gunbattle raged for an hour as police and security forces rushed to the area. 'Human bomb' According to a cameraman who witnessed the attack, one of the gunmen blew himself up in an apparent suicide attack. Two hours after the attack, officials exploded a bomb found in the complex in a controlled detonation. Shortly after the attack, the prime minister appeared on television to announce that he and all his ministers were safe. "This was not just an attack on the building, it was a warning to the entire nation. We accept the challenge," Mr Vajpayee said. "We have been fighting terrorism for the past two decades," he said. "The fight is in the last stages. It will be a do and die battle." Pakistan - accused by India of supporting Kashmiri separatists - quickly condemned the attack. A cameraman was said to be among at least 17 people injured. The army is still deployed at the scene, but the shooting has ended. Security forces are also deployed around the prime minister's residence and government ministries, the defence minister said. It is believed to be the first time the Indian national parliament has been attacked. About 100 MPs were in the building at the time of the attack. As many as 30 people are reported to have been taken to hospital. The government has ordered that security be stepped up at state assemblies throughout India. [In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information see: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytact-12.13.01-06:28:30-23962