The terrorists who carried out multiple strikes in Mumbai on the night of Wednesday landed on the Indian shores on a boat that had set sail from Pakistani city, Karachi, before anchoring in one of the many barren islands in the Rann of Kutch along Gujarat's coastline.
Around 25-30 terrorists then used smaller boats to reach the Mumbai shores the same day they struck at 12 locations in the country's financial capital.
"They landed at Sasoon dock (off the Gateway of India in Mumbai) and reached the metropolis using rubber dinghies. We have information about their route, which we would share in time to come," said special secretary (Internal Security), ML Kumawat.
The attacks have exposed India's 7,516-km-long vulnerable coastline. It has shown that terrorists can create a Kargil-like situation along India's coastline to harbour terror modules in the 1,200-odd barren islands and attack over 200 sensitive strategic installations spread across the country.
The gaping holes in the country's maritime security indicates that little has been done to take action on the 2001 recommendations of the Group of Ministers on Reforming the National Security System. The report pointed out that terrorists and organised crime syndicates smuggled in arms and ammunition into Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat by using "high-powered speed boats which can land at uncharted beaches and creeks".
Senior home ministry officials said the use of the sea route and barren islands is the beginning of a new terror strategy. It is easy to plan and safer than the land route. The virtually non-existent coastal policing has only made the job of terrorists easier. "The Mumbai attack is the best example of it. They used barren islands like Pakistani troops did in Kargil," an Intelligence official said.
"Nearly 70 per cent of illegal arms and ammunition is routed through the sea, and the barren islands are used for cacheing the weapons," the official said.
The last time weapons and explosives were brought in by the sea route was during the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. At that time, the virtually unguarded Gujarat coast was used to ferry in weapons consignments. The 2001 report had candidly pointed out that long stretches of the coastline "remained largely unprotected and unguarded" because the "presence of the Coast Guard is minimal" and "there is no Navy-Coast Guard synergy".
