Terrorists failed to destroy IAF assets: Home Secretary

Indian leaders had already praised the armed forces for their heroism in Saturday’s 15-hour shootout, with Modi saying they did not let the “enemies of humanity” who attacked the base succeed.

Reports said police and Indian border guards have cordoned off area around the Pathankot airbase and roads leading to the base have been sealed.

Security forces have gunned down four terrorists at the Air Force base in Pathankot.

Late night reports pouring in from Pathankot said another attacker has also been killed; however, his body was yet to be recovered.

Seven people were killed at an air force base in India’s northern Punjab state in a terror attack that is being seen as an effort to derail recent peace efforts between India and Pakistan.

Officials said helicopters and other equipment at the air base were safe.

Gunfire and blasts were heard as security forces hunted the remaining attackers on Sunday.

The meeting was held to discuss India’s strategy vis-a-vis Pakistan following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dramatic stopover in Lahore from Kabul to New Delhi on December 25 past year to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, it is learnt.

The Associated Press reported that Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi told reporters two suspected militants were discovered shortly after noon Sunday and hours later appeared to have been cornered, adding that he expected the gunmen to be “neutralized” soon.

However, some Indian security officials say they believe the attackers are members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (The Army of Mohammed), a militant group based in Pakistan that wants independence for Indian-ruled Kashmir.

Search operation was also being conducting in nearby villages to ensure that no more terrorists were hiding anywhere.

That gesture, which came on top of Mr. Modi’s meeting with Mr. Sharif in Paris on November 30, followed by talks between their National Security Advisers in Bangkok and a visit by External Affairs Minister to Islamabad for a conference on Afghanistan, had led to a thaw in the relations between the two countries.

“BJP condemns it. Our fearless soldiers have foiled the terror attack on the air base”. In contrast, on Saturday, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had deputed one of its most senior ministers to brief reporters.

Though the government had claimed on Saturday that the operation was over, the fact that two militants moved free inside the air base for over 12 hours at night throws some serious questions to be pondered.

India, which said that the incident was orchestrated in Pakistan, has accused its neighbour of using terrorism to achieve foreign-policy goals.

Officials said a hijacked police vehicle was used by the gunmen in the attack.

A veteran soldier working in the cookhouse turned a militant’s rifle on the attacker himself and pulled the trigger as the stand-off in the Pathankot air force station continued for the second day.