Some elements want to sabotage Indo-Pak talks:Defence Minister

“Modi strongly emphasised the need for Pakistan to take “firm and immediate action” against the organisations and individuals linked to the Pathankot attack”, the Indian government said in a statement, after Modi spoke through telephone to Nawaz Sharif.

Unlike the Indian statement, the one issued by Mr Sharif’s office did not contain any explicit commitment about action on Islamabad’s part, but said: “Our (Pakistan) government is working on the leads and information provided by the Indian government”.

Alliance spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain said in a statement to Current News Service, which is based in the Indian portion of Kashmir, that the attack was a message to India that its security forces were not beyond the militants’ reach. From the moment last month when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unexpectedly stopped in Lahore, Pakistan, to meet with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, the only question has been when radicals would try to undermine the budding rapprochement. Singh told reporters in Pathankot that it will take a “long time” to declare the base completely secure because of its size and geography.

The search was focused in Gurdaspur district in the northern state of Punjab, close to Pakistan border and about 51 kilometres (32 miles) from Pathankot. The attack has dragged on since early Saturday morning as troops struggled to find the heavily armed attackers in the sprawling base.

Kashmir is a Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in its entirety by both. A civilian was also killed during the attack, an official said Saturday.

NIA is reportedly leading the investigation into the Pathankot terror attack.

The fight operation ended on Tuesday with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar saying that six terrorists have been killed.

“If the (Pakistani) state wants to convey that it speaks with one voice and that dialogue resumption between India and Pakistan is the result of a consultative process and consensus decision-making, then it must demonstrate that the UJC (United Jihad Council) claim is being taken seriously”, it said. Urdu newspapers in Pakistan are by far the most read and influential among the general public, particularly in rural areas.

Many experts said officials should have expected such an attack, because in recent years, violence has almost always followed signs of warming ties between India and Pakistan.

“Foreign Secretary-level talks should be immediately abrogated”.

“The government of Pakistan has spoken very powerfully on this and it’s our expectation that they’ll treat this exactly the way they’ve said they would”. Seven safety personnel, together with an officer of the National Security Guards (NSG), have been additionally killed in the assault. “The explosions, the gun fire, the helicopters flying all night…she wouldn’t sleep at all”, says Rekha, a bank employee who lives near the base, holding her sleeping daughter.