Pathankot: Four terrorists and two security personnel have been killed in gun battle to thwart a terrorist attack on an air force base in Punjab’s Pathankot district on Saturday morning.
The terrorists entered the air base, located 50 kilometers from the border with Pakistan and 200 kilometers from state capital Chandigarh, wearing military uniform. They reportedly used an official vehicle.
Firing began around 3:30 am. Sources say the terrorists have been contained in a “non-operational” area of the facility. The area where fighter aircraft and helicopters are kept is safe, officials have said.
Sources say the vehicle used by the terrorists is the car of Superintendent of Police of Gurdaspur that was ‘hijacked’ in Pathankot yesterday by men in army fatigues. The group took away the police officer’s car after assaulting him and also snatched his phone, ndtv.com reported.
The terrorists reportedly used this phone to contact their handlers in Pakistan. The call was intercepted by intelligence agencies, sources say, following which an alert was issued warning of a possible terror attack at the base.
The attack is suspected to have been carried out by the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Sources say the attackers, from Bhawalpur in Pakistan, were asked to destroy assets at the base.
The National Security Guard or the NSG has been called in for help. Helicopters have also been dispatched to the area for assistance, senior police officials have said.
Following the warning, the National Security Advisor held an urgent meeting with senior officials late last night. The air chief and all concerned officers were also informed.
Security was increased in the area. The NSG was alerted and additional police forces from Jammu and Kashmir were asked to be on standby.
The attack comes six months after another terror strike in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, when three terrorists equipped with grenades and AK-47s opened fire in Dinanagar killing three civilians. The terrorists were shot dead after a 12-hour long gun battle.