STATE TIMES NEWS
Pathankot: In a pre-dawn attack, a group of heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists, suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, struck at an Air Force Base here in Punjab, leading to a fierce gunbattle in which three security personnel were killed along with five attackers
The terrorists, who struck just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unscheduled visit to Lahore, could not, however, penetrate the defence cordon at the air base which is located close to the border with Pakistan as they met with effective response from the security forces, police and security officials said
The attack by terrorists, suspected to belong to JeM outfit, took place at around 3:30 AM and three security personnel, including a Garud commando of the IAF, were killed in it, defence sources said, adding five terrorists were also killed by the security forces within five hours.
But, more terrorists were suspected to be still on the loose as gunshots were heard during the subsequent combing up operation, defence sources said.
IAF was using its two attack helicopters to assist the joint team of ground troops to neutralise the remaining terrorists, the sources said.
Authorities said helicopters and other equipment at the air base are safe. The technical area of the Air Force Station is safe, police said.
The terrorists, with huge quantity of RDX in their possession, made their way to the base from the back side where there is a jungle, they said
But they could not go beyond the ‘Langar’ (eating place) near the outer perimeter of the IAF complex as the security forces were ready to take them on, the sources said, about the operation which was supervised directly by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Anticipating an attack after some armed men abducted an SP of Punjab Police on Thursday night, a team of NSG commandos had been rushed here on Friday night itself after the NSA held a series of meetings with the Army Chief and top IB officials on Friday. An army detachment was also positioned at the air base, the sources said.
Sources said the terrorists had first used a Toyota Innova vehicle on Friday and it has been found that the driver was called from a Pakistan number.
Security agencies are questioning the driver and trying to find out whether he (driver) had been offering regular services to Pakistan-based smugglers, who have links with the terrorists, or was it a case of him not realising that it was a Pakistan number.
The driver of the Innova was called to a particular spot near Pathankot where the terrorists boarded the vehicle.
The sources said that the car was used for travelling on an untarred road and dumped after a while as the rim of the vehicle got damaged.
The terrorist then hijacked an SUV (Mahindra SUV X500) in which a Superintendent of Punjab Police was travelling along with a friend and a cook.
The SP and the cook were forced to leave the vehicle while the friend, a jeweller, was taken as hostage.
The terrorists snatched a mobile phone from them and used it to dial the number in Pakistan which was used to call the driver of the Toyota Innova. From this number, they had called their handlers thrice and once to a family member who was told that they were on a suicide mission.
Security agencies have found that from the Pakistani mobile number, the handlers were actively giving the directions to the terrorists.
Since the Pakistani number was under surveillance, security agencies were able to find out the possible target of the terrorists, leading to dispatching of 160 NSG commandos, army special forces besides others.
Meanwhile, a sacked IAF official, arrested for allegedly sharing secret information with Pakistan’s ISI, will be interrogated in connection with today’s Pathankot terror attack, investigators told a city Court which extended his police custody till Monday.
Ranjith KK, a Leading Aircraftman with Indian Air Force posted at Bhatinda, was dismissed recently and later arrested after a combined operation by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch, Military Intelligence and Air Force Liaisoning Unit (LU).
The sacked officer’s police custody was extended by two more days by Metropolitan Magistrate Dheeraj Mittal who accepted the submissions of the police which wanted his custody to be extended so that they can further interrogate him.
Security beefed up in J&K
Jammu: In the wake of the terror attack on Pathankot Air Base, security in Jammu and Kashmir especially the air force installations and the Indo-Pak border has been beefed up.
“The problem is that there may not be a specific threat but the threat (of terror attack) is always there. If we see the frequency of these things happening in the past, you need to be prepared all the time,” Director General of Police (DGP) J and K, K Rajendra Kumar said.
He said all the security-related measures have been put in place but there was always scope for improvement.
“We have plugged all the vulnerable infiltration routes along the border. Barricades have been put in place on the highways and checking of all the vehicles entering the State is being conducted,” he said.
The DGP, who held a high-level meeting to review the security arrangements in the State following the Pathankot terror attack, also toured various border areas in Jammu District. “I am myself touring the areas along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu region and checking our arrangements to thwart any nefarious designs of anti-national elements,” the DGP said.
The top cop said that various security agencies were constantly assessing the situation in Jammu and Kashmir post the Pathankot terror attack.
“It is a continuous process and we keep on upgrading preparations. We cannot be taken by surprise that is why various security agencies have been monitoring the situation in the State,” the DGP said.
All the police stations along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and areas on the International Border (IB) have been asked to maintain extra vigil.
The quick reaction teams have also been put on stand-by whereas the number of check posts on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway have been increased.
Security has also been tightened outside the Air Force Stations and the Jammu and Srinagar Airports.
“Security alert has been put in place at the Air Force Stations in Jammu, Udhampur and Awantipura while security has been tightened outside the Jammu and the Srinagar Airports,” a senior army officer said.
Following the terror attack in Pathankot, the Border Security Force (BSF) which looks after the IB in Jammu has also been asked to remain extra vigilant.
“Though we maintain round the clock vigil along the IB and never let our guard down, but whenever a terror attack takes place there is always a threat that some infiltrators might try to take advantage of the situation. Hence, we have asked our men to remain extra vigilant,” a senior BSF officer said.
