Pathankot Attack: Manohar Parrikar Meets Service Chiefs, NSA Ajit Doval

PATHANKOT: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar held a high level meeting today regarding the terror strike at Punjab’s Pathankot, which started at 3.30 am on Saturday. The 10-hour gun-battle that followed has claimed the lives of three Air Force men. Four terrorists are dead.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has met the three Service Chiefs, the intelligence chiefs and National security advisor Ajit Doval.

The army has expanded the search area in Pathankot looking for the surving terrorists, sources said. Gunfire and grenade attack had started afresh around noon, when combing operations were on. By then, four terrorists had died.

Attack helicopters are still doing reconnaissance sorties. Army sources say they wish to finish the operation before daylight fails.The attack is suspected to have been carried out by the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed. Sources say the attackers were from Bhawalpur in Pakistan and were ordered to blow up the helicopters stationed at the base.

With the attack coming within 10 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goodwill visit to Pakistan, home minister Rajnath Singh said, “We want good ties with Pakistan but a befitting reply will be given to any terror attack.”
Intelligence inputs had warned about a possibility of an attack at Pathankot — a key air base for MiG-21 Bison fighters and Mi-35 attack helicopters — located 50 km from the border with Pakistan. The area where fighter aircraft and helicopters are kept is safe, officials said.

The terrorists had entered the air base in an official vehicle. They were wearing military uniform. Sources say the vehicle they used was the car of the Superintendent of Police of Gurdaspur that was hijacked in Pathankot yesterday.

Sources say the men in army fatigues, who had driven away with the police officer’s car after assaulting him, had used his phone to contact their handlers in Pakistan. The call was intercepted by intelligence agencies, following which an alert was issued.

Following the warning, sources say, the National Security Advisor held an urgent meeting with senior officials late last night. The National Security Guard, Special Forces of the Indian Army and additional soldiers were moved to strengthen defences of the base after directions from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Earlier, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, had tweeted, “That was quick. Here’s the first major challenge to the PM Modi’s bold Pakistan gambit.” The Congress said India should reassess its position on Pakistan.

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Source:Ndtv