Mumbai terror siege is over: What next?

The terrorists were also drugged due to which they could carry on the standoff against India's security forces for so long without getting tired, the sources said.

"The terrorists were all well-built and at the peak of their health, aged between 24 and 30, and were heavily trained in military tactics. The brazenness of this attack has taken everyone by surprise," confided a marine commando to the media, on conditions of anonymity.

"At times we found them matching us in combat and movement. It was their high degree of training that was prolonging the operation each hour. They are either army regulars or have done a long stint of commando training," he said.

Though a little known terror outfit called the Deccan Mujahideen is claiming responsibility for the attack, initial clues point the finger at militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, which operates from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with alleged backings from Pakistan.

"According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are responsible for Mumbai terror attacks," Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters, adding that a captured terrorist has been identified as a Pakistani.

"They [Pakistan] can say what they want, but we have no doubt that the terrorists had come from Pakistan," said Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sriprakash Jaiswal. "We have evidence of their nationalities. We will reveal everything soon."