4 terrorists, 3 soldiers killed in attack on Pathankot air base; Pak's JeM role suspected

Security forces have deployed drones to get the exact location of the terrorists.

Pathankot: Fresh firing was reported hereafter a lull of few hours on Saturday when security forces were conducting combing operation after killing four terrorists who attacked the Air Force Base here.

The fresh firing indicated that some more terrorists could still be present in the area but Defence sources said there was no confirmation about their exact number. There was fresh firing during combing operation, the sources said.

IAF has pressed into service two attack helicopters which are targeting the areas from where the firing is believed to be coming from, the sources said. The security forces have deployed drones to get the exact location of the terrorists.

The Pathankot IAF facility, located near the border with Pakistan, is the base of MiG-21 fighter planes and Mi-25 attack helicopters of Air Force.

The gunbattle between terrorists and security forces at the Air Force Base lasted for more than five hours and left three Air personnel and four terrorists dead. "The gunbattle between terrorists and security forces ended after more than five hours," Punjab Police ADGP (Law and Order) H S Dhillon said. "However, the combing operation continues," he said.

At least four to five militants, believed to be from the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group, in army fatigues launched the attack in the wee hours with an aim of destroying the air base, a top security official said. A group of militants attacked the Air Force base at 3:30 AM, a Defence spokesman said.

Pathankot SSP R K Bakshi said that four suspected militants were killed in the battle. Three jawans were also martyred and six sustained injuries.

In view of the attack, Punjab had been put on maximum alert while security measures were also tightened in neighbouring Haryana and common capital of the two states-- Chandigarh.

Security forces are on the look out for a possible fifth terrorist so that no collateral damage is done, 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.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said any attack will be given a befitting reply even as India wants good relations with Pakistan. "Pakistan is our neighbouring country. We want good relations with not just Pakistan but with all our neighbours. We also want peace but if there is any terror attack on India, we will give a befitting reply," he 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, adding the entire area has been cordoned off.

The attack was launched soon after a combing operation was carried out by the army yesterday in the area between Air base installation and Chakki river, police said.

The attackers were met with strong resistance from the security personnel, who were already alert to the possibility of an attack, top sources said in Delhi, adding that the terrorists, therefore, could not enter the air base and managed to reach only to the langer area on the outside. Sources said that a co-ordinated counter operation supervised by NSA Ajit Doval was launched to neutralise the terrorists.

Security establishment was already on alert and anticipating an attack after an SP of Punjab Police was abducted by a group of men in army uniform on Thursday night.

Yesterday, a series of meetings were held by NSA with army chief and top IB officers in this regard. Subsequently the army was put on alert and NSG commandos were rushed to Pathankot overnight.

The attackers were confined to a non-operational area, police said. Helicopters, NSG commandos and SWAT teams had been engaged to counter the militants, police said.

SWAT team at #Pathankot attack site, combing operations underway (visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/ojOOT9xjpF

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 2, 2016

The strike was believed to be launched by Jaish-e-Mohammad militants, officials said, adding that the target was to destroy military installations.

The attack comes just a week after Prime Minister Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

It is the second big terror attack in Punjab within less than a year as last year three militants stormed a police station in Dina Nagar before being eliminated after a 12- hour gun battle.

Security was also tightened on the Pathankot-Jammu National Highway. As the news of the terror attack spread, it triggered panic among the local residents. "I was sleeping when a neighbour rushed to my home early this morning and informed me about the attack. I could not believe that terrorists had struck for the second time as the area had seen an attack recently," said Gursharan Singh, a resident of Pathankot.