The Maharashtra government Thursday declared a general holiday in Mumbai except for state government offices as security forces battled terrorists who killed 87 people overnight.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh announced separately: "Until we take control of the two places, we can think of nothing else."

Deshmukh was referring to Hotel Taj and Hotel Oberoi where terrorists are fighting gun battles with police and commandos after taking an unspecified number of hostages, including foreigners.

(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2008)