no communication: they hardly spoke to each other. One of the gunmen threw a grenade towards the main area of the lobby; this grenade failed to explode.

The gunmen then claimed their first lives, those of four foreigners. Guests were sent to the basement till evacuations began at 4 am. Women were ushered down to the ladies’ locker room where they were kept until 6 am. Meanwhile, the gunmen upstairs continued to march towards the Taj’s coffee shop, Shamiana.

At Shamiana, at least three other people were shot including the head chef. The coffee shop allows quick access to the Palace Wing and the poolside: the gunmen went through this door to fire further shots at the poolside, where people were already lying flat on the floor.

The dispersed gunmen then marched up to the fifth and sixth floors where they assembled together. Following a “discussion,” they proceeded to the general manager’s residential suite.