UN secretary-general António Guterres has paid tribute to the victims of the 2008 terrorist attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, India.

Mr Guterres on Wednesday began his official visit to India by visiting the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks were a series of attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from Pakistan, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai.

The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on November 26 and ended on November 29, 2008.

One hundred and seventy-five people died, including nine attackers.

More than 300 people were wounded during the attacks, which included bombings, shootings, hostage-taking, mass murder, and siege. Weapons used during the attacks included AK-47 rifles, RDX, improvised explosive devices, and grenades.

Mr Guterres afterwards went to the Indian Institute of Technology in the country’s business capital. At the institute, the UN chief delivered a lecture hailing the partnership between India and the UN in celebration of the country’s 75th anniversary.

He said India’s upcoming presidency of the G20 – the group of major industrialised nations – would be an important opportunity to bring the developing world’s values and vision to the global economy and highlight the Global South.

The UN chief counted on India’s support in mobilising G20 countries around debt relief.

The secretary-general noted that India is the biggest provider of military and police personnel to UN missions, including the first all-women UN police contingent to be posted to a UN peacekeeping mission.

He said more than 200,000 Indian men and women had served in 49 peacekeeping missions since 1948.

The secretary-general also pointed out that as the home of one-sixth of humanity and the world’s largest generation of young people, India can “make or break” the 2030 Agenda.

(NAN)