Terror strike at IAF base; 3 securitymen, 4 attackers killed

Pakistan’s foreign ministry has issued a statement condemning the attack, and expressing condolences for the people killed and injured in the shootout. Sanjay Singh further said that Centre and State government should take strong, effective and immediate steps so that such terrorist attacks are prevented in the future.

Indian troops have killed four gunmen who entered an air force base near the border with Pakistan and exchanged fire with security forces.

H S Dhillon, Additional Director General of Police, Punjab, told AFP the operation at the base was still ongoing at 04.15 GMT.

Indian defence ministry sources said four gunmen, believed to be from Pakistan, had entered the Pathankot airbase in India’s northwestern state of Punjab overnight. We also want peace but if there is any terror attack on India, we will give a befitting reply. Rebels routinely stage attacks in Indian-held Kashmir, where they’ve been fighting since 1989 for an independent Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan.

Parrikar, a former chief minister, has been in Goa for the last four days and was to address a meeting of the BJP top brass on Saturday afternoon, rushed to Delhi on Saturday morning following the Pathankot attack to address a meeting of the armed forces’ service chiefs.

Security experts say tight security along the countries’ disputed frontier through Kashmir has pushed the focus of militant activity south towards softer targets in Punjab.

TV footage showed armed guards outside the heavily fortified air base, which is located 50 km (30 miles) from the border with Pakistan.

Talking about the attack, the IAF in a statement said, “The likely plan of the terrorists to destroy valuable assets of the Air Force has been foiled”.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval monitored the terror attack from New Delhi. A terror attack on Dinanagar town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district on July 27, 2015, left seven people dead, including a senior police officer.

It was not clear if there was any link with Saturday’s attack.

India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir since independence and partition in 1947.

Pathankot is on the highway that connects India’s insurgency wracked Jammu and Kashmir state with the rest of the country.

His comments were interpreted by Indian analysts as showing restraint and indicating that New Delhi wanted to continue talks with Pakistan. The foreign secretaries of both nations are scheduled to meet in Islamabad later this month.