While Indian security forces continue clearance operation at Pathankot airbase and Indian media is raising figers at Pakistan for the terrorist attack, the Chinese foreign ministry has termed the attack as an attempt to disrupt improving Pak-India ties. “And we’ve been clear with the highest levels of the Government of Pakistan that it must continue to target all militant groups, and the Government of Pakistan has said publicly and privately that it’s not going to discriminate among terrorist groups as part of its counterterrorism operations”, U.S. state department Spokesman John Kirby told media.
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“We understand the pain of many families who have lost their dear ones in this tragedy, as Pakistan itself is a major victim of terrorism”, Pakistan said. The terrorist had snatched at least four mobile phones after hijacking the vehicle of Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and Singh’s cook and at least two of these phones were used to call their handlers in Pakistan.
Reports from the Indian-controlled Kashmir said on Monday that an alliance of the Kashmiri separatist groups, the United Jihad Council, claimed responsibility for the attack. Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday that the combing operations are underway and that the next step would be ascertained only after the situation was brought under control. Gen. Dushant Singh told reporters Monday in Pathankot. Maj. It would be ridiculous for New Delhi to be discussing ways to resolve the Kashmir crisis, for instance, or even promote trade or cultural exchanges, when Pakistan-based elements, with or without state support, conduct the Pathankot-kind of attacks. In a separate editorial piece, Dawn also speaks highly of Pakistan government’s quick gesture in codemning the attack on the air base.
But renewed gunfire and explosions on Sunday led officials to confirm the security operation was ongoing at the complex, which is spread over several miles.
Brigadier Anupinder Singh of the army said the terrorists were holed up in a double-storeyed building, a living accommodation of the IAF personnel.
Sharad Kumar, chief of India’s National Investigation Agency, has said that telephone intercepts suggested the attackers were from Pakistan.
Air force spokeswoman Rochelle D’Silva said Tuesday “there has been no firing since Monday night at the base”. When such kind of fidayeen attack takes place it has the potential to cause huge damage.
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Twenty security personnel, including 12 from the NSG and eight from the IAF, have been injured. Defence experts have, meanwhile, deprecated the “lack of coordination” in the handling of the Pathankot airbase attack, and questioned the multiplicity of agencies involved in the operation that continued for the third day on Monday.
