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CNN Live At Daybreak
In India, Officials Urging Calm After Attack on Hindu Temple
Aired September 25, 2002 - 05:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In India, officials are urging calm after an attack on a Hindu temple complex in the city of Gandhinagar. Thirty people are dead, most of them Hindu worshippers and clergy. Dozens more are wounded.
We want to get more on this very tense situation right now.
Joining us live by videophone from India is our own Satinder Bindra.
And you are standing right in front of the temple where this violence took place.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. And I can tell you the mood at the Swaminarin Temple (ph) is very somber, indeed. In fact, now, in the next one and a half hour, everyone here is expecting India's prime minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee to arrive. Mr. Vajpayee has just cut short an official trip to the Maltese. He comes here to share the grief of an entire nation, mourning this act of terror.
Carol, we are just going to pan our cameras to show you what exactly happened here about 21 hours ago. Two armed intruders burst into this temple. They had AK-47s and they were carrying hand grenades. There were hundreds of people inside this temple complex when they came. When they entered, they started firing indiscriminately. They also tossed several grenades.
Women and children were killed on the spot. As you mentioned, 30 people are dead now.
The assailants soon after firing at the worshipers here sought shelter on one of the terraces in the temple. Immediately they were surrounded by security guards. Later India flew in special para commandos, who laid siege to this temple.
The siege ended this morning at about 6:30 a.m. when both the assailants were shot dead. Police recovered lots of magazines, grenades and two AK-47s from the assailants. Very little is known about them except that they appear to be in their 20s.
Now, once again, Carol, India, without directly naming its neighbor, is blaming Pakistan. Pakistan is dismissing and ridiculing these charges. This morning India's prime minister says this attack is linked to the ongoing elections in Kashmir, which Islamic militants have vowed to derail.
COSTELLO: Oh, rough pictures this morning.
Thank you.
Satinder Bindra reporting live from Gandhinagar, India this morning.
We're going to be following that story throughout the day, as well as several other international stories.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Temple>
Aired September 25, 2002 - 05:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In India, officials are urging calm after an attack on a Hindu temple complex in the city of Gandhinagar. Thirty people are dead, most of them Hindu worshippers and clergy. Dozens more are wounded.
We want to get more on this very tense situation right now.
Joining us live by videophone from India is our own Satinder Bindra.
And you are standing right in front of the temple where this violence took place.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. And I can tell you the mood at the Swaminarin Temple (ph) is very somber, indeed. In fact, now, in the next one and a half hour, everyone here is expecting India's prime minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee to arrive. Mr. Vajpayee has just cut short an official trip to the Maltese. He comes here to share the grief of an entire nation, mourning this act of terror.
Carol, we are just going to pan our cameras to show you what exactly happened here about 21 hours ago. Two armed intruders burst into this temple. They had AK-47s and they were carrying hand grenades. There were hundreds of people inside this temple complex when they came. When they entered, they started firing indiscriminately. They also tossed several grenades.
Women and children were killed on the spot. As you mentioned, 30 people are dead now.
The assailants soon after firing at the worshipers here sought shelter on one of the terraces in the temple. Immediately they were surrounded by security guards. Later India flew in special para commandos, who laid siege to this temple.
The siege ended this morning at about 6:30 a.m. when both the assailants were shot dead. Police recovered lots of magazines, grenades and two AK-47s from the assailants. Very little is known about them except that they appear to be in their 20s.
Now, once again, Carol, India, without directly naming its neighbor, is blaming Pakistan. Pakistan is dismissing and ridiculing these charges. This morning India's prime minister says this attack is linked to the ongoing elections in Kashmir, which Islamic militants have vowed to derail.
COSTELLO: Oh, rough pictures this morning.
Thank you.
Satinder Bindra reporting live from Gandhinagar, India this morning.
We're going to be following that story throughout the day, as well as several other international stories.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Temple>