News / India

India forces searching air base for militant after battles

Monday, 04 January 2016 4:01 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 04 January 2016 4:01 PM ]

Indian army soldiers take up position on the perimeter of an air force base in Pathankot district of Punjab on January 4, 2016. ©AFP

At least one attacker still remains at an Indian air force base in the northern state of Punjab, which recently came under attack by a group of heavily-armed militants, with security troops still working to secure the place.

Major General Dushyant Singh, from India’s elite National Security Guard, told reporters Monday that troops backed by helicopters have launched a massive operation to hunt down the militant at the heavily guarded site in Pathankot district, which is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Pakistan border.

Singh said search operations at the strategic air base would continue until the entire facility is secured. He also confirmed that army troops on Monday had killed a fifth militant in the siege, which began on Saturday morning.

Over the weekend, it appeared at least twice that the militant raid had ended, but fresh explosions hit the area and gun battles erupted there again.

At least six Indian troops, a senior army officer and five militants have so far been confirmed killed in the incident.

No group has claimed responsibility for the assault so far, but Indian officials claim it bears the hallmark of previous attacks by Pakistan-based militant groups.

Indian army soldiers take up position on the perimeter of an air force base in Pathankot on January 3, 2016. ©AFP

The attack came about six months after Indian security forces fought a prolonged gunfight with the militants who attacked a moving bus and stormed into a police station in the town of Dinanagar in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.

At least four policemen and three civilians were killed in attack. The militants were also shot dead during the gun battle with security forces.

The latest developments come as violence, including cross-border fire exchanges, has recently flared up between Indian and Pakistani troops along the disputed de facto border in Kashmir. The two sides have accused each other of provocation.

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