Terrorists holed up inside Mumbai's Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels allowed 17 Russian hostages, including nine defence contractors, to leave after checking their passports.

Earlier on Thursday, spokesman of Russian arms exporting company 'Rosoboronexport' had confirmed that nine of its specialists working on various defence projects in India were safely evacuated from the Taj Hotel.'

According to the 'Kommersant' daily, eight crew members of Russian Aeroflot airlines dining in the restaurant of Trident-Oberoi were also "politely asked" to follow the hotel staff, who guided them to safety outside the hotel.

"Two airhostesses, who wanted to go to bed early, had returned to their rooms in Trident hotel and could not be evacuated," an Aeroflot official in Mumbai was quoted as saying by the daily.

However, the Vesti TV channel added that both the airhostesses trapped in the Trident-Oberoi were rescued on Friday morning by the security personnel.

In its article 'Terrorists slam the Gateway of India' Kommersant notes that terrorists especially targeted US and UK citizens and said that the attacks were a clear sign of Al-Qaeda [Images] involvement.

"In the past the Indian leadership had also said about the alleged involvement of Al-Qaeda but this time it is clear that it has shifted its war against America outside the territories of Iraq and Afghanistan," Kommersant wrote.