Fresh IED explosion hits Pathankot, 3 more security personnel succumb to injuries

An officer of the NSG was killed on Sunday in a powerful blast that occurred during the ongoing search operation at the IAF base amid fresh round of firing between the terrorists believed to be two in number and the security forces that started afresh inside the airbase complex in the afternoon.

Defence ministry officials said that it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which went off during combing operations in the morning which killed Lt Col Niranjan and likely injuring few others.

The six include one Garud commando and five soldiers from the Defence Security Corps (DSC) while one Garud commando and eight DSC personnel were injured.

Defence sources said Niranjan, a resident of Kerala, was killed while trying to retrieve the grenade from the body of a dead terrorist.

Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan Kumar of the National Security Guard was martyred in “mopping up operations” in Pathankot, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced earlier today. The firing was still continuing, police officials said.

Additional reinforcements have been sent to the area of operation.

Nine other security personnel including a Garud Commando are recuperating in hospital.

The official said the operation will end only after a thorough search, going on inside the IAF base and nearby areas, was completed.

The fresh exchange of fire today and the grenade blast occured as the joint combing operation by the armed forces, police and security personnel was still underway and the NIA had taken over the probe into the terror incident.

He died in while protecting the base from the terrorist. Four terrorists were killed after a day-long gun-battle yesterday.

Security agencies were probing possible local support the terrorists got in the area after sneaking into India from Pakistan on December 30-31.

The tweet was, however, withdrawn soon after.