Fresh firing has been reported at the Pathankot Air Force base on January 4, with more terrorists suspected to be hiding in the area. Reinforcements have been sent to the area of operation. Around 12 National Security Guards (NSG) have been injured.
A joint operation by the armed forces, police and security personnel combing the area is still underway and the NIA has taken over the probe. Five companies of army, armed with bulldozers, have been sent to speed up the operation against the terrorists. Choppers have continuously kept flying over the air force station to provide aerial support to the ground troops engaged in the operation against the terrorists.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is monitoring the situation closely and had also chaired a high-level meeting earlier. “Security operations to secure the Pathankot Indian Air Force facility from two remaining terrorists are in the final stages and will conclude only after all assets are physically combed,” the National Security Guard said on January 4. “The area is very large, the combing ops might take a long time,” an NSG official said.
With the terror siege at the IAF base in Pathankot entering the third day, soldiers armed with weapons such as rocket launchers and mortar guns besides other sophisticated weapons had entered the airbase in army trucks in the morning.
The Pathankot attack, which came a few days after Mr Modi’s visit to Lahore, has raised questions about the trajectory of recently revived engagement between India and Pakistan. The fate of the Foreign Secretary level talks to be held on January 15 also remains uncertain at the moment.
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