The battery of commandoes and security forces - which was pressed into service to neutralise the terrorists - who struck Pathankot Air Force station in the wee hours on Saturday - failed to kill all the terrorists even after a 48 hour-long combing and search operation. The Air Force and other security personnel continued the operation throughout Saturday night. Locals said they were scared when the attack helicopters which continuously hovered over the Air Force Station and flashed flood lights on the Air Force Station at midnight. The search and combing operation gained momentum after sunrise.
A grenade blast was heard at 9 am when the bomb disposal squad was busy diffusing the arms. One IED went off when the commandoes were handling the body of a slain terrorist. One senior army officer was killed and four others were Injured in the blast. "Four terrorists have been killed during the operation which is still on and will continue till we are sure that there are no more intruders at the Air Force station. Seven people have been martyred, one Garud, five DSC jawans and one NSG," AOC Pathankot JS Dhamoon said. Sources said the Army launched a final assault to neutralise two terrorists who were still alive and were engaging the security forces by firing shots. Heavy fire exchange took place between the terrorists and the forces till evening.
The commandoes even blew up a portion of the Army canteen where the terrorists took position and attacked the security personnel. The terrorists continued to exchange fire even after the canteen was blown. A thick black smoke cloud appeared from the centre of the station after the building was blown by the commandoes to kill the terrorists.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), mandated to probe terror cases, will register a case on Monday to probe the conspiracy of Pakistan-based terrorist group, believed to be Jaish-e-Mohammed, behind the strike at the IAF base in Pathankot in Punjab.
A team of NIA was at the spot on Saturday as per the standard operating procedure and on Sunday the Government decided to hand over the case to the NIA after taking concurrence from the Punjab government, official sources said. The mandate of the NIA probe will include entry of the militants into India, killing of a taxi driver Ikagar Singh, kidnapping of Superintendent of Police-rank officer of Punjab Police, who was later released and entry into the IAF campus, the sources said. They said the investigators will also try and ascertain the conspiracy that was hatched on the Pakistani soil by the terrorists and if possible find out the state and non-state actors in that country.
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