Guns silent as Indian forces search Indian air force base

The colleague Singh called after he was freed treated it as an armed robbery, one in a string of security lapses preceding the January 2 assault on the Pathankot air base that killed 7 Indian security personnel and injured 22. The Sena also said that if India does not avenge the Pathankot terror attack, then displaying its military and arms and ammunition strength on Republic Day would be futile.

“I see some gaps (in intelligence) but we will be able to understand only after the investigation”. He noted that the base is large, and is wooded in some places, making it hard to pin down the gunmen.

On Monday, the United Jihad Council, an alliance of more than a dozen pro-Pakistan militant groups based in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the air base attack, according to a statement from the group’s spokesman.

The council is based in Pakistan’s portion of Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between the countries and claimed in its entirety by both.

As uncertainty prevailed over Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan in the wake of Pathankot terror strike, the USA today said “warmer” ties would be in the interest of the two nations, but it is for their leaders to decide their national interest.

Indian security forces have killed five militants involved in the attack, said Major General Dushyant Singh, of India’s counter-terrorism force, the National Security Guard, at a briefing on Monday. He gave no details on those intercepts in an interview Tuesday with the television news channel TimesNow.

The Congress Party on Tuesday dubbed Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s assurance that he would initiate prompt action against those responsible for the attack on the Pathankot air base as ‘hollow ‘ and cautioned that India should not be misled by it. “Specific and actionable information in this regard has been provided to Pakistan”, the statement added.

Earnest said he is not aware of any upcoming meeting between the US President and the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan.

Sullivan reported from New Delhi.

“That was I think was a rather vivid illustration for people who don’t closely follow this issue that citizens in Pakistan and the Pakistani government has their own vested interest in trying to deal with terrorist organizations that are attempting to operate inside the country, and the United States obviously strongly supports the Pakistan government as they do that”, he said.