Mumbai's targeted hotels reopen partly

A Hindu priest chanted prayers and a Muslim cleric read from the Quran as the Trident Hotel at the Oberoi complex reopened amid tight security yesterday, three weeks after it was targeted in a militant rampage.

Sniffer dogs patrolled the grounds outside, police officers stood behind sandbag bunkers and guards checked bags and IDs as the hotel opened to guests for the first time since gunmen attacked the Oberoi and nine other sites across Mumbai on Nov 26.

The band of accused Islamic militants killed 164 people over the course of a three-day siege, including dozens of guests and staff members at the sea-front Oberoi complex - home to the Oberoi and Trident hotels - and another luxury hotel, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower.