Security forces combed the property looking for explosives, Parrikar said, and it didn’t appear any militants are left on the base.
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The attack sparked what CNN’s partner in India, CNN-IBN, described as a 15-hour gunfight at the base, which the network said houses fighter jets and attack helicopters. He did not elaborate.
An Indian army truck carrying military equipment moves towards the Indian air force base in Pathankot, India, Monday, Jan.4, 2016.
The head of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the audacious terrorist strike, also visited the base separately. He said it would be premature to comment as the operation was still going on. “This is only for safety purposes”. “And again, I would point you back to what the government of Pakistan itself has said and acknowledged that it’s not going to discriminate among terrorist groups and it will continue to take the fight”, Kirby said.
Responding to the criticism, Parrikar said that Pathankot is huge and hard to defend.
“It is tedious. This has been done without compromising any assets…”
Security forces seized AK-47s, grenades, commando knives and mortars, Parrikar said. They also had improvised mortars.
“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.
But analyst Khadim Hussain said the attack on the air base along with a Taliban surge in Afghanistan indicated that elements of the Pakistani military were not on board with the negotiations. “But obviously if they don’t take serious action, that is not a conducive atmosphere for dialogue”.
“They have got initial leads, where they have come from, how they have come”.
The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh may not be ready to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to meet his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore as a mistake despite the terror attack on the IAF base at Pathankot as the Sangh sees the timing of any diplomatic initiative as largely the PM’s prerogative.
But the government’s response to the attack “transformed what should have been a short, intelligence-driven, counter-terrorist operation into something that increasingly seems like a debacle”, Shukla wrote.
Mr Sharif promised Pakistan would take “prompt and decisive action against the terrorists”, Indian officials said.
According to a statement issued by the Indian government, Modi called for “firm and immediate action against those responsible for the air base attack”, based on specific and actionable information provided to Pakistan.
Kirby said the United States is encouraged by the government of Pakistan condemning this attack, and the statement that they’ve made about not discriminating among groups.
Sharif conveyed sorrow and grief on the losses in Pathankot terror attack. New Delhi said it has shared information about the attackers with Islamabad.
The two leaders had a seemingly impromptu meeting on November 30 at the Paris climate summit.
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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”.
