Pathankot terror attack carried out at behest of ISI?

National Security Guards (NSG) commandos, who had been rushed in here on Friday evening following apprehension of an attack, IAF’s Garuda commandos and army commandos led the counter-attack on Saturday against the terrorists who are suspected to have crossed into India from Pakistan through the border area, 30 km from here. The technical area of the Air Force station is safe, police said.

IAF was using its two attack helicopters to assist the joint team of ground troops to neutralise the remaining terrorists, the sources said. Punjab police had also been put on alert and Additional DGP had been positioned in Pathankot to oversee the security situation, the sources said. This was the only noticeable terror attack undertaken by the outfit after the 2001 attack on the Parliament.

Sporadic gunfire and helicopters flying overhead could still be heard as an operation to comb the base in search of any more gunmen continued, police said.

Besides, security has also been beefed up at Army areas at Chandimandir and at Ambala cantt following terrorist attack at Pathankot.

This is the second major fidayeen attack by Pakistani terrorists in north Punjab in just over five months.

The raid resembled an assault last July by uniformed gunmen on a police post in a Punjabi border town that killed nine people.

“As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is our neighbour”.

“We have seen the same pattern again and again when there are attempts to restart the peace dialogue”, said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a beginning, now it is Pakistan’s turn to reciprocate”.

Pakistan condemned the attack and said it wanted to build on the goodwill created in the recent high-level contacts.

Officials said the gunmen, wearing army fatigues, managed to enter the Pathankot air base before dawn on Saturday. “My deepest condolences to families of the courageous soldiers martyred in the attack”. Find us on Facebook too!