NEW DELHI — "Keep your phone switched on," a handler instructs a terrorist by phone in the midst of the Mumbai siege, "so that we can hear the gunfire."
The ruthless commands come from a transcript of phone calls Indian authorities say they intercepted during the attacks in November. India says the men issuing orders, reprimands and encouragement to the young gunmen were Pakistani-based terrorists directing the attacks by mobile phone.
The men on the phone were confident, direct — and brutal.
"We have three foreigners, including women," a gunman said into the phone from the Oberoi Hotel where hostages had been captured.
"Kill them," replied the handler. Gunshots then rang out, followed by cheering that could be heard over the phone.
"Inflict the maximum damage," they said.
People are also reading…
The transcripts were part of a dossier of evidence India has given Pakistan this week that India says proves definitively that the siege that killed 164 people was launched from across the border. India says the 10 gunmen were all Pakistani and has blamed the Pakistani-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The Mumbai transcripts show that the 10 gunmen, who allegedly were trained in Lashkar camps, received instructions throughout the siege.
"If you are still threatened, then don't saddle yourself with the burden of the hostages. Immediately kill them," a handler tells a team of terrorists who had seized a Mumbai Jewish center, according to the transcript.
Six Jewish foreigners, including a rabbi and his wife, were killed inside the building.
The handlers' tone is that of a firm teacher alternately dispensing encouragement, criticism and guidance. Many exchanges, however, were just swift commands that showed the real decisions were being made far from the besieged Mumbai targets.
Roughly 24 hours after the attacks began, the handlers urged the gunmen to "be strong in the name of Allah."
The attackers used several mobile phones. Shortly after the siege started, Indian authorities say they began intercepting calls from inside the hotel. They were also able to pick up calls carried over the Internet, which the handlers used to route some calls, according to the dossier.
The dossier also included photographs of dozens of items recovered in the attacks, including GPS units, mobile phones, guns, and explosives, as well as data gleaned from satellite phones, and details from the interrogation of the lone surviving gunman.
But the strongest — and most chilling — evidence that the gunmen were not acting alone came from the phone transcripts.
