Mumbai terror attack shook Manmohan Singh badly, recalls former deputy NSA

Speaking to PTI, Saran, who was Singh's close aide, said, "He was always a great listener, intellectual, an economist of world standing, widely respected. He was the first prime minister at the start of the G20 Summit in 2008, and he developed a very high reputation among the global leaders, whose understanding of economics... All in all, I would say, a very fine person, a great human being, both in his personal life and officially."

"Among the neighbours, he tried very hard to establish some kind of peace with Pakistan but it didn't work. But he tried and he was very disappointed that his efforts did not succeed. In fact, they were rebuffed with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 when he was prime minister, and that really shook him up very badly," he added.

Singh, who was one of the longest serving Indian PMs, died at the age 92 on Thursday.

The Congress veteran, who was architect of India's economic liberation in the 1990s, was instrumental in maintaining peace talks with hostile neighbour Pakistan during his term which ran from 2004 to 2014.

About 26/11

The 2008 Mumbai attacks also referred to as 26/11 were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai.

The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday 26 November and lasted until November 29, 2008. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.

Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai Chabad House, The Oberoi Trident, The Taj Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, The Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College.

There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and a taxi at Vile Parle.

By the early morning of 28 November 28, all sites except for the Taj Hotel had been secured by the Mumbai Police and security forces.

On November 29, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted Operation Black Tornado to flush out the remaining attackers; it culminated in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj Hotel and ended the attacks.