TIA NEWS /
Encounter and combing operation is going on inside the Pathankot airbase and it will continue till the airbase is cleared off the terrorists. At a joint press conference, Army, Air force and NSG officers said that terrorists had taken shelter in a two storied building and four of them were killed while two more are suspected to be hidden in the building.
Officers said operation was going on in full co-ordination of forces fighting the terrorists. Officers told the media that terrorists came with full preparedness but they were contained in time and all defence equipment has been saved from their reach. No damage is reported to the civilian area or any civilian. All residential area of airbase is also safe.
“Till now, we have eliminated four terrorists and operation to eliminate two more terrorists, possibly is in the final stage of conduct,” Inspector General NSG Maj General Dushant Singh told a press conference in Pathankot.
Singh, who was flanked by Air officer commanding, Air commodore J S Damoon and Brigadier Anupinder Singh, said “the entire operation will continue till all the personnel, assets, structure are physically combed. So it is likely to take a long time.”
“These terrorists are holed up in a double-storeyed building, which is a living accommodation of the Air Force personnel and currently the operations are in progress to clear this building from the terrorists,” Brigadier Singh said.
He said that the terrorists have come “well prepared” and are “heavily armed” with an aim to target the strategic assets of the Air Force.
The officers said the Army was on general alert since January one following intelligence inputs of a terror strike.
Firing could be heard during the night and Monday morning. Officials said this firing could be linked to the mopping operation.
IAF helicopters flew through the night over the air base to assist ground forces in the counter offensive against the terrorists.
Army and para-military forces have surrounded the entire air force base, which is spread in a huge area.
Four terrorists were killed by security forces on Saturday after a 15-hour long gunfight in which the NSG, Indian Army and IAF commandos were involved, assisted by IAF helicopters.
A gunfight between two more terrorists and security forces continued through Sunday.
Seven security personnel, including one official of the National Security Guard, one IAF Garud commando and five Defence Services Corps (DSC) personnel were killed in the counter-offensive against the terrorists.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the situation arising out of the terror attack at Pathankot air force base in Punjab. Soon after his return from Karnataka last night, Mr Modi chaired a meeting of top officials including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.