Parrikar visited the Pathankot Indian Air Force base in Punjab on Tuesday along with the chiefs of the army and air force.
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Earlier, Pakistan said it was working on the “leads” provided by the Indian government about the Pathankot air base attack in a significant move that may help keep the fragile thaw in frosty relations between the two neighbours intact. Sharif “assured Prime Minister Modi that his government would take prompt and decisive action against the terrorists”, the PMO said.
The attack has proven that our borders are not safe, India’s internal security is in shambles and the only national work being done is giving condolences to the martyred on social networking sites, the Sena said in a hard-hitting editorial in party mouthpiece “Saamana”. Indian security forces say they have killed five attackers, with the last one shot dead on Monday.
The phone call from Sharif came as the Pakistan link to the attack became clear.
“The immediate result is they would like to derail the peace process”, he told AFP, clarifying that it was unclear whether such decisions were sanctioned at the highest levels.
The terrorists received the extensive training session at one of the Pakistani airbases included several dry runs of breaching the security perimeter: a lesson the terrorists put to lethal use when they managed to enter the Pathankot base, The Times of India quoted highly placed intelligence sources. Officials have said no military hardware has been damaged in the fighting.
Sharif, who telephoned Modi from Sri Lanka, gave the assurance after New Delhi provided “specific and actionable information” to Islamabad regarding the terrorists.
In the first known claim of responsibility, the United Jehad Council, an alliance of 13 Kashmir-based rebel groups, claimed that its “highway squad”, which normally attacks military convoys, carried out the attack.
“Prime Minister of Pakistan called the Indian Prime Minister today”.
The meet was followed by the NSAs of India and Pakistan meeting in Bangkok a week later following which the External Affairs Minister visited Pakistan to attend Heart of Asia Conference during which the two sides announced the resumption of talks under “Bilateral Comprehensive Dialogue” process.
The attacked air base sits on the road to Kashmir close to the Pakistani border.
“Let the NIA (National Investigation Agency) investigate it, everything about whom they were linked to and who sent them will emerge”, he said of the suspected links of the terrorists to Pakistan. I am very very clear they should not take any risk.
Parrikar said the militants’ 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.
He stressed that the base was a “complicated area” spread over almost 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) and housing 3,000 families.
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Parrikar admitted that the entire operation “is a very difficult” one.
