One militant holed up inside the Oberoi Hotel said his group wanted all the Mujahideens being held in India to be freed in exchange for the hostages.

A witness at the scene said the gunmen were clearly targetting certain nationalities: “They wanted anyone with British or American passports, so anyone who had a British or American passport they wanted to know. So I guess they were after foreigners.”

Authorities are trying to bring the situation under control.

“Our first priority is to rescue the people, those who are injured, put them in the hospital and provide them with all the facilities they require,” said one government official. “There are two places where fighting is still on.”

The attacks have drawn condemnation from around the world including from the White House and President-elect Barack Obama, as well as the European Union.

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