Smoke seen at air base; all six terrorists killed

www.mangaloretoday.com

Pathankot (Punjab), Jan 3, 2015: Smoke could be seen coming out of the Indian Air Force (IAF) air base near here on Sunday evening as the gunfight between security forces and terrorists moved to an end.

Police sources said two more terrorists holed up inside one portion of the frontline air base had been killed after a prolonged gun battle.

 

With this, the security forces have eliminated six terrorists, the sources said.

"The smoke can be seen coming from a building which was blown up by security forces to eliminate the last terrorist," a police officer said.

While four terrorists, who carried out a Fidayeen attack at the IAF base on Saturday, were killed by security agencies during a gunfight that lasted for 15-hours.

The gunshots and blast were heard on Sunday morning during search and combing operation inside the base, the IAF and Punjab Police sources told IANS.

The technical area, where the IAF’s MIG-21 fighter jets, MI-35 attack helicopters and other critical assets were stationed, was secure, they said.


IAF helicopters could be seen flying over the base and nearby areas through the night and since early Sunday to assist ground forces in the operations.

Security agencies were particularly investigating the local support that the terrorists got in the area after entering Indian territory from the border belt with Pakistan on December 30-31. The border is about 30 km from here.

At least four terrorists, suspected to be from Pakistan, were killed in a gunfight that lasted over 15 hours after they breached a high-security perimeter and entered the IAF base in northern Punjab early on Saturday to carry out a Fidayeen attack.