"Here, they operated much more cautiously." "It is not clear why the area was not cleared of bystanders, or why the comparatively risky option of a helicopter-borne assault was chosen," they reportedly said.

The explosion that blew the ground-floor door occurred before soldiers landed on the rooftop, whereas for maximum effect, they should have occurred simultaneously, they noted.

Meanwhile, according to Israeli defence officials, two high-ranking security men have been sent to India to assist with the investigation into the attacks. One is a representative of the Israeli Defense Ministry and the other is from the Shin Bet security service. They are also coordinating security at Israeli sites in India with local authorities.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says a forensics team will leave on Sunday for Mumbai to help identify the bodies of the Israelis. An Israeli air force plane is to fly the team to India and return with the bodies.