The Times of India (www.indiatimes.com) reports that a group of Islamic terrorists have attacked a temple in India, deliberately murdering 23 people, including 13 men, six women and four children:

GANDHINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Twenty-three people were killed and another 40 were seriously injured in a deadly attack by terrorists on the Akshardham temple complex here on Tuesday evening.

The killed included 13 men, six women and four children. Commandos have rushed to the spot and a gun battle is currently on. 500 people have been evacuated from the temple complex.

Briefing newsmen, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said in Delhi that two to four terrorists in plain clothes staged the attack. They arrived in an ambassador car and climbed over the temple wall to enter the premises. The terrorists were armed with AK-47 rifles.

The terrorists, according to Advani, entered the sprawling Akshardham temple complex at around 4.45 pm and started shooting indiscriminately at the visitors. Three to four grenades were also hurled at the devotees.

There's a poll currently being taken in Kashmir, but these Islamic terrorists, who are based in Pakistan, denounce the "occupation" and refuse any compromise with the "infidel". This reminds us of the Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Arafat's thugs from the Al-Aksa brigades who murder women and children while also denouncing the "occupation". I am not buying the murderers' lies anymore and I wish India's army good luck in their reaction.

I copy the full article below.

23 die as terrorists attack Gujarat temple, siege on
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2002 08:04:24 PM ]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
cms.dll/articleshow?artid=23184142

GANDHINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Twenty-three people were killed and another 40 were seriously injured in a deadly attack by terrorists on the Akshardham temple complex here on Tuesday evening.

The killed included 13 men, six women and four children. Commandos have rushed to the spot and a gun battle is currently on. 500 people have been evacuated from the temple complex.

Briefing newsmen, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said in Delhi that two to four terrorists in plain clothes staged the attack. They arrived in an ambassador car and climbed over the temple wall to enter the premises. The terrorists were armed with AK-47 rifles.

The terrorists, according to Advani, entered the sprawling Akshardham temple complex at around 4.45 pm and started shooting indiscriminately at the visitors. Three to four grenades were also hurled at the devotees.

"I saw five gunmen inside," said 25-year-old Balwant Shukwant Patel, who was among the devotees rescued by security forces soon after the shooting began. "We were sitting under a tree when they started firing indiscriminately. We thought someone was setting off firecrackers. People started running here and there."

Hirabhai Solanki, brother of Gujarat minister Purushottam Solanki, and who was present at the spot when the attack took place, said he fired at the terrorists with his private weapon when the shootout started. Solanki's clothes were soaked in blood as he tried to move the injured persons to safety. "I believe there are at least 3 or 4 terrorists inside", he said.

The exact count of the casualties was not known but eye-witnesses reported several bodies of those dead and injured being taken out of the temple complex. The injured were rushed to the Gandhinagar civil hospital.

Advani said the attack was “a deliberate design to divert attention from the successful J&K poll”.

More than 200 commandos from the state police swarmed into the sprawling temple complex, setting up positions around the main temple, said R B Brahmabhatt, the city's acting police chief.

Gunshots could be heard from the complex. The entire temple complex was barricaded and cordoned off even as a ‘Red Alert’ was sounded all over Gujarat.

Securitymen have also taken positions in and around the VVIP enclave, located just a couple of kilometres from the temple, which houses the residences of the state ministers and top officials. Police sources said the attack was in all probability a retaliation to the communal riots which took place in Gujarat earlier this year.

The temple belongs to one of the Swaminarayan sects and had been visited, among others, by the former US President Bill Clinton after the earthquake last year.

Akshardham was set up by followers of Lord Swaminarayan, who lived from AD 1781-1830.

PTI adds:
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has cut short his Maldives visit and is returning on Wednesday. Meanwhile, L K Advani is going to Gandhinagar on Tuesday night.

Posted by David Melle
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