1993 Mumbai Bombings: 28 Years On, A Chilling Reminder of Cross-Border Terror Tactics

The 1993 Mumbai bombings killed 257 and marked the beginning of nuclear-enabled terrorism. Learn about the ISI’s role and India’s evolving response.

MUMBAI, INDIA — Exactly 28 years ago, a series of 12 bomb blasts tore through Mumbai—then known as Bombay—killing 257 people and injuring over 1,400 in what would become India's first major Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (CCTA).

Coordinated blasts that killed 257 were the first strike in a 15-year pattern of attacks on India's financial capital, revealing Pakistan’s covert strategy.

The 1993 Mumbai bombings, carried out on March 12, marked the beginning of a chilling trend: three major strikes over 15 years, each targeting India's economic nerve center and allegedly orchestrated with covert support from Pakistan’s ISI.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. What caused the 1993 Mumbai bombings? → Dawood Ibrahim's gang, backed by Pakistan’s ISI.
2. How many died in the 1993 attacks? → 257 dead, 1,400+ injured.
3. Was Pakistan involved? → Intelligence traced explosives to ISI networks.
4. What was India's response? → Arrests were made, but no military retaliation occurred.

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Deadly Precision Across the City

The blasts struck iconic locations across the city—including the Bombay Stock Exchange, luxury hotels, and the regional passport office—within minutes of each other. Shockwaves turned concrete and metal into shrapnel, devastating lives and crippling infrastructure.

The scale and coordination of the attack stunned investigators. At the time, the assault was the deadliest of its kind globally, only later eclipsed by the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Underworld Syndicate, Foreign Hand

Initial investigations focused on the Dawood Ibrahim gang, which executed the bombings as an apparent act of revenge for the communal riots that followed the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.

However, as evidence mounted, it became clear the operation had backing far beyond the underworld. Investigators traced the RDX explosives and detonators to Pakistan’s military establishment, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

“The planning and execution were too advanced for a mere smuggling syndicate,” a senior intelligence official said. “We were dealing with a well-resourced state proxy.”

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The Role of Pakistan’s ISI

The attack was allegedly greenlit by Lt. General Javed Nasir, then head of the ISI and previously director of Pakistan Ordnance Factories. Nasir also led the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic missionary group, and reportedly used his dual influence to direct logistics, funding, and training for the attacks.

Investigative author Hussain Zaidi, in his book Black Friday, outlines how the weapons—three tonnes of RDX, over 1,100 detonators, and assault rifles—were transported to the Maharashtra coast using Dawood’s smuggling networks.

The ISI's objective, according to analysts, was to send a message while maintaining “plausible deniability.” The gunmen, trained in Pakistan, were meant to carry out Phase Two: storming government buildings. That plan collapsed when operatives fled the city.

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Missed Warnings and Intelligence Failures

Warnings from Indian agencies went unheeded. Between January 21 and 24, 1993, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence received inputs about arms landings. The cargo was eventually brought in near Shrivardhan on February 3.

Despite the scale of the attack and the recovered arsenal, New Delhi’s attempts to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism fell flat. The United States cited a lack of direct proof linking the Pakistani state to the weapons cache.

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"A Blow to India's Heart"

In his 2020 memoir Let Me Say It Now, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria wrote:

“A successful attack on Mumbai means a decisive blow to the economy and reputation of India. That is why we are always in the crosshairs.”

The bombing exposed India's unpreparedness for modern, cross-border terrorism and revealed a key vulnerability in coordination between central and state intelligence agencies.

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The Legacy: Nuclear-Enabled Terrorism

Analysts say the 1993 blasts were the first clear demonstration of what would evolve into nuclear-enabled terrorism—a strategy where terrorist proxies inflict damage while nuclear capability shields the sponsor state from retaliation.

“The Pakistan Army realized it could bleed India with non-state actors while hiding behind its nuclear deterrent,” said Commodore (Retd.) C. Uday Bhaskar, a strategic affairs expert.

This approach would be seen again in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts and the 26/11 attacks in 2008. It wasn't until India’s 2016 cross-border raids and the 2019 Balakot airstrike that New Delhi publicly acknowledged military responses to such provocations.

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International Pressure and Denial

According to U.S. diplomatic cables, Christina Rocca, then Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, recommended putting Pakistan on a terrorism watchlist as early as 1992. Javed Nasir was removed in May 1993, likely under American pressure—but Islamabad never admitted to any role in the attacks.

A 2021 study by Pakistani think tank Tabadlab estimated the country lost $38 billion in GDP between 2008 and 2018 due to its continued sheltering of militant groups.

“Talks and Terror” Strategy Challenged

India's earlier restraint—favoring diplomacy over retaliation—has gradually shifted. Post-Pulwama and Balakot, India now asserts a “zero-tolerance” stance.

Yet, experts warn the infrastructure of terrorism remains intact in Pakistan, with the military wielding control from behind the scenes.

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28 Years Later, Questions Remain

While many foot soldiers were tried and convicted, the full chain of command behind the 1993 Mumbai bombings remains shrouded in secrecy.

Strategists argue that India’s failure to respond decisively in 1993 emboldened future attacks. Others say the complexity of geopolitics, nuclear deterrence, and international diplomacy left little room for maneuver.

Today, the 12 March bombings are not just a memory—they are a cautionary tale about complacency, denial, and the enduring dangers of state-sponsored terror.