MUMBAI - INDIAN commandos took control of Mumbai's Trident-Oberoi hotel on Friday, but battles raged on with militants who were still holed up in another luxury hotel and a Jewish centre with about half a dozen foreign hostages.

'The Oberoi Hotel and Trident are now under our control,' the chief of the elite National Security Guards, J.K. Dutt, told reporters in Mumbai. 'Oberoi-Trident have been evacuated, we have killed two terrorists.'

India again pointed a finger at Pakistani-linked 'elements' for Wednesday's brazen, coordinated attacks in its financial capital, which police said killed at least 121 people.

But his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, called on India not to play politics over the attacks in Mumbai.

'Do not bring politics into this issue. This is a collective issue. We are facing a common enemy and we should join hands to defeat the enemy,' the foreign minister told reporters during a visit to the Indian town of Ajmer.

The exchange raised the prospect of renewed tension between the nuclear-armed rivals, which have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.

After a morning of shooting and explosions in Mumbai, the head of one commando unit flushing out militants at the five-star Taj Mahal hotel said he had seen 12 to 15 bodies in one room among a total of 50 in the hotel.

The commandos found money, ammunition and an identity card from Mauritius that they suspected belonged to the militants, the commander, his face disguised by a black scarf and sunglasses, told a news conference.

At least one militant was still thought to be holding two hostages in the luxury Taj Mahal Hotel, an army commander said.

But army Commander Lieutenant-General N. Thamburaj told reporters almost all guests and staff had been evacuated from the Taj and the operation would be wrapped up in a few hours.

'He is moving in two floors, there is a dance floor area where apparently he has cut off all the lights,' he said.

'This morning while carrying out the operation we heard the sound of a lady and a gentleman, so it is possible that this terrorist has got two or more hostages with him.'

At the Jewish centre, Indian commandos - their faces covered by balaclavas - rappeled from helicopters onto the roof to flush militants there. A Reuters witness said troops fired inside to provide cover as the commandos made at least three sorties.

The gunmen inside are thought to be holding an Israeli rabbi and around three other people hostage there, officials said. -- REUTERS