If the United States has 9/11 (for September 11), the city of Mumbai in India has 26/11 (for November 26). While the latter may not have had the same number of civilian casualties as the day the World Trade Center crumbled to the ground, it was nevertheless a day of terror – the kind of which India has never seen before.

November 26 of this year marks the first anniversary of the beginning of the terror attacks in Mumbai, when ten gunmen based in Pakistan began shooting at people in a major train station, luxury hotels and other sites. It took the police and the military almost three days to regain control.

Seven men who are thought to have participated in the attacks have been charged in Pakistan.

The police were criticized at that time as “poorly trained” and “under-armed”. A lot has happened since then, and they have made certain security improvements. These improvements, which include camouflaged armored vehicles and bright yellow boats, are part of a parade remembering the attacks.

As the attacks drew to a close, it was the time of the Indian MarCos or Marine Commandoes, an elite special forces who are likened to the Navy SEALs, to shine. Images of these forces being dropped from choppers on top of the Nariman House certainly drew parallelisms. It was no surprise, though, as Special Forces all over the world do share the same level of skill and tactics, at least to a certain extent. They are also known to help each other; in 1987, the three Naval Officers who comprised the nucleus of the Indian MarCos underwent training with the U.S. Navy SEALS.

In Mumbai, citizens are gathering to remember the events of that fateful day. Murals are being painted to remember the 166 people killed; a hundred people, gathered by two non-governmental organizations, painted about a stretch of wall in south Mumbai.