At least 40 to 50 hostages are holed up in one room by six to eight terrorists in the topmost floors of the Taj Mahal Hotel, said a National Security Guards commando involved in the operation.

There are 170-odd NSG commandoes involved in the flushing-out operation, said the commando who had stepped out for a breather.

The commando also said the terrorists holed up in the hotel are in the age group of 20 to 25 years.

After a lull of four hours an explosion caused by a grenade was heard, an indication that the battle is far from over. At around 8.40 pm IST, multiple rounds of gunfire was heard from inside the hotel.

Maj Gen R K Hooda, General Officer Commanding, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat, said the operation was not over and added that they were still searching the rooms. He said after the search is over, the army will sanitise the area and the police will form a cordon around the perimeter of the area. Only when all this is done will the operation be over, he said.