2 cornered after attack on Indian air force base
Print Edition
INDIAN troops were battling at least two gunmen last night at an air force base near the border with Pakistan, more than a day and a half after the compound came under attack. At least seven troops and four gunmen have been killed in the fighting so far.
The two suspected militants were discovered shortly after noon yesterday and hours later appeared to have been cornered, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi told reporters, adding that he expected the gunmen to be “neutralized” soon.
The attack on the Pathankot air force base began before dawn on Saturday and is seen as an attempt to undo recent improvements in the relationship between archrivals India and Pakistan. It comes a week after Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister in 12 years to visit Pakistan.
Mehrishi said Indian authorities were alerted on Friday afternoon to a potential terror attack in Pathankot, and that aerial surveillance at the base spotted the suspected militants as they entered the compound. He said they were quickly engaged by Indian troops and “were unable to move toward their likely intended target” of where the base’s aircraft and military equipment are kept.
Since Saturday morning, the base has been swarming with air force commandos, troops from India’s elite National Security Guard and local police.
The number of troops killed in the attack rose to seven yesterday, with four succumbing to their injuries overnight and an elite commando killed in a morning blast that occurred while he was handling explosives, officials said.
The militants entered the area of the base where the living quarters are located, the defense ministry said. The first gunbattle lasted about 14 hours, after which the air force said it had begun operations to secure the base.
Mehrishi said troops were not certain of the presence of additional gunmen until they were discovered yesterday afternoon, and that the two men were cornered in a wooded area of the base by evening.
“They are limited to an area and we are very hopeful that by this evening these two terrorists will be neutralized,” he said.
A senior air force officer, Air Marshal Anil Khosla, told reporters in New Delhi that the base will not be declared fully secure until the entire area is thoroughly checked by troops.
The sprawling Pathankot air force base is spread over several kilometers, including some forested sections. It houses a fleet of India’s Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets and Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters, along with other military hardware.
The defense ministry said no aircraft or military equipment had been damaged.
The base is on the highway that connects India-controlled Kashmir with the rest of the country. It’s also very close to India’s border with Pakistan.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but is claimed by both. Rebels in India’s portion of Kashmir have been fighting since 1989 for independence or merger with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies.
Police are investigating whether the gunmen came from the Indian portion of Kashmir or from Pakistan.
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