MUMBAI - FRIDAY

Posted at 7:34 a.m. ET

The terror in Mumai continues.  CNN is reporting the latest death toll at 146, and that number will grow.  There are new explosions at the Taj, part of which is apparently still occupied by a few terrorists.  There has been an assault on the Jewish center, but the results are not known.  There are reports, thus far unconfirmed, that a number of bodies have been found in several hotels.  We stress, unconfirmed.

Now both CNN and Fox are reporting an escalation in military activity.  The situation is very fluid.

We have been blessed here by the reports of Renee Nielsen, who has provided remarkable perspective.  Here is Renee's latest, filed just a few minutes ago:

Reports are coming in that the Oberoi operation is over. 24 bodies pulled out of there so far.  Nairman house has 2-3 terrorists and the Taj has supposedly 1 still loose inside.

Dead foreigners so far killed to include 2 Americans, 1 Japanese, 1 Finn, 2 Germans, 1 Canadian and 1 from Norway.  Who knows how many more.  Reports of 30 bodies in one hallway in the Taj.  

Misreporting of gunfire erupting around city turned out to be false.  It caused panic and havoc and the police used jammers to block cell phones at one point enraging media mostly based in Delhi from receiving info from Mumbai.  

It's chaos.  Everyone representing different agencies are saying different things.  

One odd thing to think about...if the terrorists were really intending to target Americans and even Brits, why not wait 24 hours and then you'd have all the hotels hosting American Thanksgiving dinners? These dinners were widely advertised and the Taj Bandstand here was expecting a large group.  There are odd theories floating around that this is actually mob related, as one crime duo of brothers fled to Pakistan since they were being hunted here.  No Korans or anything else have been reported found on the bodies, but they are saying credit cards, and US currency.  

All the information above could change.  It's incredible how the local media contradicts themselves with their "breaking news" headlines, then the scroll says something different.

A bit later Renee added:

Let me clarify: the mob brothers fled a long while ago but still may be running drug operations from there.  It's just a rumor at this point, but considering all the other information out there, seems as plausible as any other theory.  The media hasn't reported this, it's coming from the streets.

It's now dusk in Mumbai.  There's an eleven hour difference between New York and that city.  We'll continue to post bulletins, and Renee's reports.

November 28, 2008.