World joins Obama to condemn the bloodshed

Amid fears that the bombings were part of a plan to "test" the president-elect, Mr Obama said he would not be intimidated by the terrorists.

The elimination of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden was one of Mr Obama's election campaign priorities, shifting the US focus away from Iraq.

"The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks," Mr Obama's national security spokesman, Brooke Anderson, said in a statement. Both the president-elect and George Bush were briefed on the attacks today.

Gordon Brown joined world leaders including French president and current EU leader Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and Pakistani prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to condemn the attacks.

"These outrageous attacks in Mumbai will be met with a vigorous response," said Mr Brown. "I have sent a message to prime minister Singh that the UK stands solidly with his government."

In Pakistan, where president Asif Ali Zardari agreed to hold historic peace talks with India last month, a government statement said: "Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani while strongly condemning the incidents of violence in Mumbai has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives."

Mr Medvedev called the attacks a "challenge to humanity".