Mumbai siege gunmen are from Britain

According to one source, as many as seven of the gunmen may have British connections and some may have come from the Leeds and Bradford area.

Two Britons were captured with eight other terrorists after commandos stormed two hotels and a Jewish centre to free hostages. The death toll mounted to 143 people this morning after 24 bodies were found in the Oberoi hotel. Later, Israeli rescue service Zaka reported that all the remaining nine hostages in the Jewish centre were believed to be dead. More than 327 people have been injured.

Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh revealed that up to 25 terrorists were responsible for the bomb blasts and shootings that targeted tourists and foreign interests.

Detectives from Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command were in Mumbai today liaising with the Indian authorities.

One security official told the Standard: "There is growing concern about British involvement in the attacks."

Images of some of the gunmen were being studied by the security services in an effort to identify them.

The Indian TV channel NDTV quoted government sources as saying two of the terrorists were British.

Indian authorities have not released any details about the two Britons and the Foreign Office has refused to confirm Indian television reports.

Gordon Brown said today it was "too early" to reach any conclusions about British involvement.

Seven terrorists have been confirmed as killed by Indian special forces.

Gun battles were still continuing today with stand-offs at the three buildings.

Between six and eight Islamic militants, professing to be part of the Deccan Mujahideen, were believed to be still holed up, spread between the five-star Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident hotels and the Nariman House Jewish centre.

Three terrorists arrested at the Taj Mahal hotel have been officially identified as a Pakistani national and two Indians.

Another of the detainees is reported to be a Mauritian national.

Indian commandos have recovered credit cards and the militants' ID cards as well as seizing a vast arsenal of grenades, AK-47 magazines, shells and knives.

Security sources have told the Standard that the attack is believed to be alQaeda-linked and it is known that dozens of British-born Pakistanis have travelled to Pakistan in recent years to train in its camps.

One source said recently: "The camps are full and many of the people inside are Brits."

Met officers were also interviewing passengers returning from Mumbai as they stepped off planes at Heathrow Airport.

Around 100 hostages have been released from the Oberoi Trident in rescue operations while more than 400 people were brought out last night from the Taj Mahal hotel, where commandos were still fighting cat-and-mouse battles with a lone gunmen today. The death toll was expected to rise as troops battled their way the hotel. Soldiers said they found 30 bodies in just one hallway.

It has been confirmed that 24 bodies have been discovered at the Oberoi hotel, which is now back under the control of the authorities.

One security official said eight foreigners were known to have died, among them one Briton, three Germans, a Japanese, Canadian and Australian.

At the Oberoi hotel, groups of captives were rushed out and put in waiting cars, buses and ambulances.

Among those released were a group of about 20 airline workers, including seven South African crew members and seven Lufthansa staff. As they came out some carried luggage with Canadian flags, and two women were dressed in black abayas, traditional Muslim women's garments.