Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
Pathankot: In a pre-dawn attack, a group of heavily-armed terrorists, suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, struck at an Air Force base here in Punjab, leading to a fierce gunbattle in which three security personnel were killed along with four attackers.
The terrorists, who struck just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unscheduled visit to Lahore, could not, however, penetrate the defence cordon at the Air base which is located close to the border with Pakistan as they met with effective response from the security forces, police and security officials said.
The attack by terrorists, suspected to belong to JeM outfit, took place at around 3.30am and three security personnel, including a Garud commando of the IAF, were killed in it, defence sources said, adding four terrorists were also killed by the security forces within five hours.
But, more terrorists were suspected to be still on the loose as gunshots were heard during the subsequent combing up operation, defence sources said.
IAF was using its two attack helicopters to assist the joint team of ground troops to neutralise the remaining terrorists, the sources said.
Authorities said helicopters and other equipment at the Air base are safe.
The technical area of the Air Force station is safe, police said.
The terrorists, with huge quantity of RDX in their possession, made their way to the base from the back side where there is a jungle, they said.
But they could not go beyond the 'langar' (eating place) near the outer perimeter of the IAF complex as the security forces were ready to take them on, the sources said, about the operation which was supervised directly by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Anticipating an attack after some armed men abducted an SP of Punjab Police on Thursday night, a team of NSG commandos had been rushed here on Friday night itself after the NSA held a series of meetings with the Army Chief and top IB officials on Friday.
An army detachment was also positioned at the Air base, the sources said.
Defence sources said the terrorists could not enter the technical area of the IAF station, which is the base for MiG-21 fighter planes.
Army had positioned two columns (comprising about 50 men) and a team of Special Forces at the Pathankot Air Force station prior to the attack, defence sources said.
Punjab police had also been put on alert and Additional DGP had been positioned in Pathankot to oversee the security situation, the sources said.
Meanwhile, in Jammu, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, said that Indian security forces are well-prepared to deal with all situations.
"Our security forces are well-prepared to deal with all kind of situations," he said following the early morning attack in Punjab.
The minister, however, refused to elaborate further in this regard, saying that security-related issues cannot be discussed in the public domain.
"These are security-related issues which cannot be discussed in the open; but all the agencies concerned -- army,
paramilitary forces -- have taken cognisance and are prepared to deal with all situations," he said.
On whether the talks with Pakistan should continue despite the Pathankot attack, Singh said these decisions have to be taken by Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs.
"That is a separate issue and only the ministry concerned,including MEA and MHA can speak on it," he said even as he averred that "there were elements" who were not in favour of the restoration of peace between the two nations.
"The elements that do not want peace to be restored, they time and again carry out such acts, but I want to tell you that the process of peace has its own power", he said.
