Pathankot (Punjab):
Heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists today carried out a pre-dawn strike at the Air Force base here, triggering a fierce gunbattle in which three securitymen and four infiltrators were killed, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore.
With the obvious intention of destroying fighter jets and attack helicopters housed there, up to six terrorists in army fatigues attempted to storm the base which is barely 35 kms from the international border with Pakistan but failed to go beyond the outer periphery.
In heavy exchange of fire, a commando and two other personnel of the IAF were killed along with four of the attackers. Blasts and intermittent exchange of fire was continuing this evening.
There was no clarity as to the number of attackers who are believed to have infiltrated from Pakistan and there was speculation that they may belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad headed Maulana Masood Azhar of the Kandahar hijack episode.
Security personnel, which included commandos from NSG, Army and Air Force, appeared to be preparing for an extended operation as the night fell and resistance continued.
The terrorists, who are said to have infiltrated three days ago, launched the first ever attack on an Indian Air base at around 3.30 am, their obvious targets being MiG-21 fighter aircraft and MI-25 attack helicopters.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh did not rule out the possibility of involvement of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit in the attack.
“The case will be probed by the NIA but the possibility of JeM being behind the attack cannot be ruled out,” he said.
(PTI)
