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All six militants killed in Pathankot airbase siege: Indian defence minister
[DAWN] Indian forces have killed the last of the six holy warriors who attacked an air force base near the Pakistain border over the weekend, the defense minister said Tuesday, though soldiers were still searching the base as a precaution.Manohar Parrikar stopped short of saying the operation had ended, but Indian officials have said repeatedly that only six gunnies were involved. At least twice over the weekend it appeared that the attack had ended but fresh gunfire and kabooms erupted both times. Parrikar did not explain how just a handful of gunnies managed to paralyse a large Indian air base for almost four days, insisting that security forces had done "a commendable job." Seven Indian soldiers were killed during the attack. "I see some gaps (in intelligence) but we will be able to understand only after the investigation. But I don't think we compromised on security," he told news hounds after touring the scene of the fighting. He noted that the base is large, and is wooded in some places, making it difficult to pin down the gunnies. Parrikar said the turbans' weapons included AK-47 assault rifles with makeshift rocket launchers attached, mortar rounds that could be fired from the launchers, pistols, and 50-60 kilograms (110-130 pounds) of ammunition. A fifth gunman was killed Monday on the third day of a siege. There was no gunfire as troops searched the air base on the fourth day of the siege looking for a possible sixth gunman involved in the attack. Earlier, Indian Air Force spokeswoman Rochelle D'Silva had said, "There has been no firing since Monday night at the base." The search operations at Pathankot air force base will continue until all areas have been completely secured, Maj Gen Dushyant Singh, from India's elite National Security Guard, told news hounds. Indian army soldiers sit in a truck as they head towards the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Pathankot. ─ Rooters Posted by: Fred 2016-01-06 |
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