"Israel": 8 "Israelis" killed in Mumbai attacks

Source: Agencies, 29-11-2008
MUMBAI - "Israel's" Foreign Ministry statement issued Saturday announced that eight "Israelis" in all had been killed in a wave of attacks that rocked the Indian city of Mumbai, leaving at least 195 people dead and hundreds wounded.
An earlier announcement revealed that the bodies of eight hostages had been removed from the Chabad House in Mumbai and taken to local hospitals for identification. On Friday, only six of the eight had been found. According to the ministry statement, five of the eight hostages were "Israelis", some holding dual citizenships.
Haaretz correspondent in Mumbai Ashel Pfeffer reported Saturday that the bodies of six of the eight hostages found at the Chabad center had been positively identified. He added that "Israel" may have to fly crime lab analysts to India for positive identification before the bodies can be flown back to "Israel" for burial.
On Friday, War Minister Ehud Barak told Channel 1 Television that the bodies of two women and three men had been found at the Chabad and the body of a third woman was found later in the building.
The Chabad-Lubavitch movement confirmed Friday evening that an "Israeli"-born American rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, and his wife Rivka, 28 were among the dead.
Barak said two men who supervised Jewish dietary laws were also apparently among the dead. They were later identified as Leibish Teitlebau, an American from Brooklyn, and Ben-Zion Croman, an "Israeli" with dual U.S. citizenship.
Barak added that some of the bodies had been tied up, and that two women had been killed many hours before.
"All in all, it was a difficult spectacle," he said.
While acknowledging the complexity of ending the attacks across sprawling Mumbai, Barak added, "I'm not sure it had to last three days, but that's what happened."
"Israel" offered all manner of help to Indian officials, Barak said, including assistance "that is inappropriate to detail here."
"Israel's" ambassador to India, Mark Sofer, however, consistently dismissed reports that "Israeli" commandos took part in the operation.
Channel 1 reported that the bodies of the "Israelis" killed in the attack would be returned to "Israel" on Sunday for burial.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem, said Friday that it was no coincidence the Chabad center had been attacked.
"Our world is under attack, it doesn't matter whether it happens in India or somewhere else," she added.