Pathankot terror attack: Modi meets NSA, foreign secretary

However, the Jash-e-Muhammad, which is under the scanner for the Pathankot attack, had in the past distanced itself from the conglomerate after it expanded militant activities beyond Jammu and Kashmir and pursued a pan-Islamic agenda. Four other security men were also injured in the explosion.

That same say, it was learned that insurgents were in the Pathankot district, near the border with Pakistan and where the base is located, although Indian authorities did not know what location within the zone might be the target of the pending attack.

Four militants and seven security personnel were killed Saturday.

“The air base is large and we have been working all night to ensure that the base is totally in our control”, Mehta said. Singh later deleted his tweet. A civilian was also killed during the attack, an official said Saturday.

Terrorists, suspected to be from Pakistan, had infiltrated into the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot early on Saturday which led to a fierce gun battle with the security forces.

Air Commodore J.S Dhamoon, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Pathankot, said “The operations are at a mature stage”. The firing was still continuing, police officials said.

Peace overtures between India and Pakistan picked up momentum last week, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unannounced visit to Pakistan on December 25.

Modi held the meeting soon after his return after his two-day visit to Karnataka. One Garud security personnel too was martyred in the operation. Gen. Dushyant Singh, of India’s counter-terrorism force, the National Security Guard, told a joint security news briefing at the air base.