- Akshardham Temple attack
Infobox civilian attack
title=Akshardham Temple attack|
caption=
location=Gandhinagar ,Gujarat ,India
target=Akshardham (Gandhinagar)
date=Tuesday,September 24 -25,2002
time=4:45p.m.–6:45a.m.
timezone=|type=massacre ,mass murder ,religious violence
fatalities=33 (including the perpetrators)
injuries=79
perps = 2, names unknown
weapons =Grenade ,AK-47 The Akshardham Temple attack or Akshardham Temple siege occurred on
September 25 2002 when two heavily armed Muslim terrorists arrived at the Akshardham Monument inGandhinagar , thecapital of WesternGujarat state in India at around 1630 hrslocal time . They scaled the perimeterfence and opened fire, killing a woman and atemple volunteer right away. Then muslim terrorists began throwinggrenade s into the devotees at the temple. About 600 devotees were in the temple at the time. By the end of the attack, 29 devotees were killed and another 79 devotees wounded. Apart from the 25 people killed in the first assault, 1 state police officer and 1 commando also died in the action. One more seriously injured commandoSurjan Singh Bhandari died after about 2 years of being in coma fighting death.Around 50 people were trapped inside the building and quick action of the volunteers in the temple denied the attackers access to people inside. The
National Security Guard (NSG) commandos commonly called 'black cats' intervened to end the siege in an operation called "vajra shakti". All 50 trapped personnel were rescued and released after identity checks.Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader ofBAPS requested Mercy for these Muslim terrorists.ee also
*
List of hostage crises
*Akshardham (Gandhinagar) External links
* [http://www.akshardham.com/gujarat Temple website]
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