Pathankot Attack: Security Agencies Blame Each Other

Security Agencies blame each other for security lapses, as IAF sets up inquiry.

A senior intelligence officer, connected with the Pathankot investigation, has said that the first terror strike could have had been averted had the Air Force acted on time. He further added that the first phone call of the terrorists was intercepted before noon on 1 January. Clearly, the calls were intercepted several hours before the strike.

An inquiry has been set up by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to find out lapses in the operation, as well the security breach that helped terrorists enter air base.

IB Official

According to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official, by the evening of 1 January, the IAF knew that the terrorists were present inside the Pathankot Air Force Base. The question which arisen is why couldn’t the security forces locate these terrorists?

The official further added that initially the security agencies took several hours to even determine the rough location of the terrorists. The intercepted calls hinted that the six terrorists were scattered inside the base, and not confined to one place. This made their task even more difficult.

An argument that has been made by most of the security agencies is that the Pathankot Air Force base is spread roughly over 20 square kilometres, with vast stretch of idle space, elephant grass and bushes, making it difficult for security officers to locate the terrorists. But a senior IB official rubbishes this argument by saying that the IAF should be well versed with their base area. The IAF should have taken precautionary measures immediately by identifying the vulnerable points inside the base and cordon them off.

The MHA TOP official had earlier admitted that he was aware of the infiltration around 9 am on 1 January, and within a short time, the agencies also managed to intercept some calls of the terrorists. Then why did the NSA-level meeting happen 6 hours later, i.e. around 3 pm, when the Central Government was aware of the infiltration by 9 am? Did our security agencies initially waste a lot of crucial hours, and by the time they understood the gravity of the situation, was it too late?

Security breach at the Air Force Base has raised several questions, out of which the laxity of the IAF to act on time is prominent.

IB Official

While addressing the media, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh admitted that “the terrorists got in despite the intelligence, and is being looked at by the NIA (National Investigation Agency). It is of concern and will be one of the key lessons learnt.” Singh expressed his concern on the increasing security threats and said that Indian Army is working towards checking it. He further added that all army commanders have been asked to do conduct security audits and submit their reports soon.

HM Rajnath Singh’s Mysterious Silence

Home Minister Rajnath Singh chose to not answer any question he faced from the media on Wednessday. When asked directly about the Pakistan Government’s keenness on sending a Special Investigation Team to Pathankot, Singh answered with a monosyllabic “Accha”, accompanied by a wry smile.

On Wednessday afternoon, the Pakistan Government issued a press release expressing their concern to counter terrorism.

In the spirit of the cooperative approach, it was also decided that in order to carry the process forward, additional information would be required, for which the Government of Pakistan is considering to send a Special Investigation Team to Pathankot, in consultation with the Government of India.

Press Release, Pakistan Government

Pakistan also announced the arrest of several Jaish-e-Mohammed members, allegedly linked with the Pathankot terror attack. In a statement released by the Pakistan Government, after the high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it was noted that Pakistan will not encourage terrorism in their soil.

[...] Considerable progress has been made in the investigations being carried out against terrorist elements reportedly linked to the Pathankot incident. Based on the initial investigations in Pakistan, and the information provided, several individuals belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad, have been apprehended. The offices of the organization are also being traced and sealed. Further investigations are under way.

Press Release, Pakistan Government

On the other hand, the NIA continues to grill SP Salwinder Singh for the third day. On Thursday, Singh and the caretaker of the Shrine are likely to be questioned by investigators to connect missing links.