Terrorists still holed up inside Pathankot IAF base, operation continues, 4 attackers killed so far

More than 40 hours after a group of heavily armed Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists stormed the Pathankot Indian Air Force base, the operation to neutralise all the attackers is still underway. Authorities have confirmed that four terrorists have been killed in all but there is still no clarity on how many terrorists crossed over in to India.

At least one terrorist is still evading the security forces and is believed to be holed up inside the IAF base. The base has been cordoned off to prevent any escape. A fierce gun-battle is still underway inside the base.

There is also some confusion about the number of attackers killed. While Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said on Sunday that four terrorists have been killed, a day earlier Home Minister Rajnath Singh had tweeted that the operation had been completed with the killing of five terrorists. Singh later deleted his tweet.

"We will come to know the number of terrorists only after the completion of the operation and body count," Mehrishi told a press conference. He said four terrorists were killed in the gun-fight on Saturday while firing resumed on Sunday afternoon at two places in the air base.

Asked about the Home Minister's tweet, Mehrishi said he was giving authentic information and "don't not know what others are saying". He said a Superintendent of Police of Punjab, who was kidnapped along with two others on Friday and was left off later, had said that there were only four terrorists.

Mehrishi said so far there were seven casualties -- six IAF personnel and one NSG officer. Eight IAF personnel and 12 NSG commandos have also been injured so far.

The NSG officer was killed while trying to defuse a grenade attached to the body of a killed terrorist. Five NSG commandos were also injured in the blast.

Seven other NSG commandos were also injured in separate incidents in mopping up operation. Asked when the operation against the terrorist would be over, Director General (Air Operations) of the IAF Air Marshal Anil Khosla said they were not sure about that as the action against the terrorists was still on.

"No way I can predict. But we are hopeful that it will come to an end this evening," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)