Modi Meets NSA as Pathankot Operations Continue
Live: It is suspected that there may be upto ten terrorists involved in the attack.
A Summary of the Attack - Day 2
The Pathankot Air Force was subjected to a major terror attack yesterday, allegedly carried out by Jaish-E-Mohammad. Just when it seemed that things were finally sorted –government officials claimed on Saturday that all the attackers were eliminated, and combing operations were underway to neutralise any threats – an explosion suddenly rocked the base again.
Lt Col Niranjan, a member of the NSG’s bomb disposal squad
lost his life while defusing a grenade which detonated, injuring four other
men. This led to speculations that the bodies of the terrorists might have been
booby-trapped, and more terrorists might be hiding at the base.
Soon after, fresh firing was heard at the airbase on Sunday. The operation was clearly not over and is still underway. Several media reports claim that in addition to the four terrorists killed on Saturday, the two suspected to be hiding at the base still have also been eliminated.
But according to the Union Home Ministry, the death of only four terrorists have been confirmed, while the status of the other two is still unclear. Media reports also claimed that the security forces were keen on capturing the attackers alive. Seven security personnel have lost their lives in the attack.
Security was beefed up outside the base, while Delhi, suspected to be a target, has been put on high alert. PM Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with the NSA, Foreign Secretary and other officials, shortly after returning from his Karnataka visit.
Delhi on High Alert
Speaking to CNN-IBN, the police have said that they are equipped to handle ‘any kind of Fidayeen attacks.’
Operations to Continue through the Night
CNN-IBN reports that the Indian Airforce has confirmed that operations will continue through the night.
Number of Terrorists May Be 8 or 10
According to Hindustan Times, the search for a second car is currently underway. The number of terrorists involved in the attack is suspected to be between 8 and 10.
Names of Casualties Martyred in the Attack
- Corporal Gursewak Singh (Garud)
- LNK Phoolwant
- Subedar Fateh Singh
- Sep Sanjeev Kumar
- Sep Jagdish Chand
- Sep Mohit Chand
- Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan (NSG)
Narendra Modi Chairs High-level Meeting with the NSA, Other Officials
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the aftermath of the Pathankot attack chairs a high-level meeting with the NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign secretary Sujatha Singh and other officialsto discuss security issues. Modi conducted this meeting right after returning from Karnataka where he went on Friday to inaugurate the Indian Science Congress.
Modi tweeted a short video of his talking about the valour displayed by the armed forces in combatting the Pathankot attack.
Family of Slain NSG Officer Expresses Joy and Grief
Family of slain NSG Lt Col Niranjan Kumar expressed joy as well as grief over his death.
His sister said that he is Arjuna to her as he “fought for
his karmabhoomi.”
“At one hand I have lost him but on the other hand, he has made us feel proud,” said his sister. His father recalled that Niranjan was forever interested to join the army.
“He told me that he liked the Army dress,” he said to the media.
‘Operation is Still On’
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, talking to reporters said that operation is still underway. He also sounded “sure that all terrorists will be dead”. This comes despite several media reports informing about all the terrorists being gunned down by the security and armed forces.
JS Dhamoon AOC, Pathankot AFB toed the same line as Singh. He also elaborated on one DSC jawan who worked in the kitchen.
“One DSC jawan who worked in the kitchen, engaged &killed one of the terrorists with terrorist’s own weapon,” said Dhamoon.
In view of the Pathankot attacks, mock security drill was conducted at Rajkot airport in Gujarat earlier on Sunday.
Fresh Firing Heard at Pathankot Air Base
Fresh firing was reported again at Pathankot air base, reports CNN-IBN.
Operations lasting more than 36 hours is still continuing there. Among the six terrorists, four are confirmed dead. Union home secretary in a press conference did not confirm about the other two.
‘Without Intelligence Inputs, Pathankot Attack Could Have Been Worse’
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that “without intelligence inputs, Pathankot attack could have been worse.”
Singh created a confusion on Saturday by congratulating the security forces and the Army for ‘neutralising all the five terrorists’ through a tweet. At the time of the tweet, four terrorists were killed and two were still inside the Pathankot Air Base.
Singh had to withdraw the tweet later.
Sushma Holds Meeting to Discuss Pak Strategy
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj held a meeting with former foreign secretaries and a former envoy to Pakistan. Swaraj along with MoS VK Singh met with former ambassadors and foreign secretaries, including S K Lambah, G Parthasarathy, Shyam Saran, Shivshankar Menon, Satyabrata Paul, Sharad Sabharwal and TCA Raghavan, to discuss the recent Pathankhot terror attack.
Jaish-e-Mohammed Involved: Home Secretary
Home Secy Rajiv Mehrishi confirms Jaish-e-Mohammed involvement
in the Pathankot attack.
Some news sources are saying the operation in the Pathankot air base appears to be over and the two remaining terrorists have been killed, but Mehrishi maintains the counter-terror operation continues.
He also confirms that 7 security force officials have been martyred - 6 Air Force officers and 1 NSG. 12 NSG and 8 Air Force officers have been injured.
Home Secy Holds Media Briefing
Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, briefing the media at Shashtri Bhavan in New Delhi on the Pathankot terror attack, stopped shy from confirming that the sixth terrorist has also been killed, unlike the media reports. This corroborates with the CNN-IBN update.
On Sunday morning, two more terrorists were found during a
combing operation.
“They are being engaged (with); we’re hopeful that they will also be neutralised by evening,” said Mehrishi.
He launded the prompt action put forth by the security forces.
“Due to active intelligence inputs and advance info, security forces especially air force were able to protect air force asset.”
In the same press conference, DG Air operations Air Marshal A Khosla confirmed that the “Operation never stopped, operation is not completed.”
One Terrorist Still Holed Up: CNN IBN
The counter-terror operation continues inside the Pathankot Air Base, more than 36 hours after it first began. Although many media channels have reported that all the terrorists have been killed, CNN IBN still maintains one terrorist is holed up while the fifth terrorist was killed. This means, one more terrorist is still thought to be in the air base, according to CNN IBN.
Sixth Terrorist Neutralised, Claims Times Now
Security forces gun down a sixth terrorist inside the Pathankot air base, according to Times Now. The operation however is still underway.
Punjab Deputy CM Briefs The Media
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal addressing the media, said that “This is the second/third time such an incident has happened in Punjab...They should increase deployment in this fencing area”.
Badal, who is also the Home Minister of Punjab also said, “We are writing to the government. There is not as much BSF deployment on the
Punjab border as compared to the Jammu and Kashmir border.”
Badal defended the police by saying, “Punjab police will act as the second line of defence whereas BSF will be first line of defence.”
“A commando battalion will be established in Pathankot district,” he added.
Badal did not wish to disclose much about the operation. He simply said, “At the moment our understanding is four terrorists have been killed & two are being engaged now.”
No Fresh Gunshot Heard
No fresh gunshots heard in the last 20-30 minutes in Pathankot, reports CNN-IBN. However, whether the operation has been called off or not is still doubtful.
Fifth Terrorist Killed in Pathankot Air Base
One more terrorist has been neutralised at the Pathankot air force base, sources told NDTV. Only one among the two terrorists is still inside the air base.
The operation has now been running for 36 hours straight.
Is the Security of Our Air Force Bases Wanting?
US Condemns ‘Heinous’ Pathankot Attack
Fresh Firing Heard at Pathankot
“No failure on part of India’s Defence and Intelligence apparatus,” says former cop KPS Gill to CNN-IBN. Meanwhile, there are protests against Pakistan at Pathankot. Seen below, protesters burning an effigy of Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.
What We Know So Far?
Intelligence and government sources are telling the media that they are keen to capture at least one of the terrorists alive. After the Udhampur attack, the captured terrorist Naved had yielded a treasure trove of intelligence.
Delhi could be in danger too, according to India Today television.
Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi will brief the media today at 5 pm.
Lt Col Niranjan, a member of the NSG’s Bomb Disposal Squad, was killed while he was defusing the grenade at the scene of the terror attack as part of the combing operations that continued through the night, according to PTI. This raises a new question - were the bodies of the terrorists ‘booby trapped’?
Blame Game Begins
Even as the battle continues, the blame game between agencies has begun.
Security Beefed Up Outside Pathankot Air Base
Grenade Kills NSG Lt Col Niranjan
A fresh grenade blast ripped through the air force base here this morning claiming the life of an NSG commando, as three other security men succumbed to injuries in a hospital after Saturday’s terror attack taking the toll of Indian security personnel to seven.
Lt Col Niranjan, a member of the NSG’s Bomb Disposal Squad, was killed while he was defusing the grenade at the scene of the terror attack as part of the combing operations that continued through the night. Four other security men were also injured in the blast.
Defence sources said Niranjan, a resident of Kerala, was killed while trying to retrieve the grenade from the body of a dead terrorist.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed regret through a tweet.
Three members of the Defence Security Corps (DSC) succumbed to injuries in the hospital here during the night.
Four attackers, a Garud commando and three DSC were killed on Saturday when heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists had attempted to storm the base, triggering a day-long gunbattle at the airbase, barely 35 kms from the Indo-Pak border.
Among those battling for their lives in the hospital are 8 DSC personnel and a Garud commando.
Meanwhile, the joint combing operation was still underway, a police official said, adding that the NIA had taken over the probe into the terror incident. Some senior officials of the Punjab Police led by DGP Suresh Arora are also present here.
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