India's Home Minister Submits Resignation Over Mumbai Carnage

November 30, 2008 7:20 a.m. EST

Mumbai, India (AHN) - India's Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Sunday submitted his resignation, taking "moral responsibility," over the Mumbai attacks that killed 174 people and injured nearly 300, amid growing pressure on the government why it was not able to prevent the carnage.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has not yet responded to Patil's resignation. The nation's top security official has been under intense pressure over the attacks that began Wednesday and ended Saturday when Indian commandos killed the last of the gunmen inside a posh hotel in Mumbai.

Authorities were still retrieving corpses inside the luxury Taj Mahal hotel where the militants holed up for their last stand before the commandos killed them after an exchange of heavy gunfire and explosions.

The three-day siege has also increased tensions between Pakistan and India after Mumbai charged that the gunmen had links with Pakistan. The lone suspect captured by authorities say the gunmen received training from Pakistan.

A previously unknown local Muslim group called Deccan Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attacks, but there were suspicions a militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was based in Pakistan, was responsible.

Pakistan denies the accusation it has links with the gunmen and President Asif Ali Zardari offered full cooperation with India.

Majority of the victims were Indians, but at least 22 foreigners were among those killed, including American, Israel, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Thailand and France. One Briton, Andreas Liveras, was also killed.

Initial reports indicate some of the gunmen arrived suing a rubber dinghy Wednesday night, while the rest have been in Mumbai for months to gather information on their targets. At least 10 sites have been targeted by the gunmen who appeared well-prepared.