Pathankot: A day after terrorists stormed the Pathankot Air Force base, a grenade exploded during fresh search operations on Sunday morning. One security personnel died while three others have been injured.
Meanwhile, three Defence Security Corps jawans, who were injured in the terror attack, died in hospital. The death toll of those martyred in the attack has risen to seven.
Nine other security personnel including a Garud Commando are recuperating in hospital.
The entire air base has now been sanitised and there are no more terrorist there. Air Force station has 12 gates and there are many weak links in the wall due to road widening over the time which could have been possibly exploited by the terrorists.
The attack helicopters are doing reconnaissance sorties over the Air Force station. The security has also been stepped up in other Air Force bases in Jammu, Awantipur, Srinagar and Udhampur.
It has been revealed that the terrorists booked the Innova cab from Pakistan only, and after infiltration, they came in that car close to 1.5 kms near the border. They killed the driver and called their handlers in Pakistan using the driver's phone.
The National Investigation Agency team will file case over the Pathankot attack and will include all sections -- kidnapping, Unlawful Activities Preventions Act, crossing illegally, waging war against country, murder, conspiracy.
The 12-member team will led by SK Singh. The NIA will take over formally only on Monday but team has already begun its work. The Directror General of NIA is likely to visit Pathankot encounter site in next two days.
According to sources, the attack was planned by top Jaish-e-Mohammed leaders. One of the terrorists made a call to his handler and it was intercepted as the handler was already on intelligence radar, the sources said.
The sources added that agencies were alerted after the calls were intercepted. The aim of the terrorists was to inflict maximum damage and spike tension between the two countries.
The NIA team reached Pathankot on Saturday.
Four JeM terrorists were killed in the 15-hour long gun-battle. The terrorists were carrying Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), 52 mm mortars, AK rifles and GPS machine. Based on intercepts, security agencies believe that one Nazeer from Bahawalpur in Pakistan was leading the group.
Defence sources said the terrorists sneaked into the nearly 2000-acre air base through a forested area where were confronted by the Quick Reaction Team of Garud commandos. They managed to go up to 400 metres but were still 700 metres away from the area where fighters were stationed.
The terrorists could not go beyond the 'langar' (eating place) near the outer perimeter of the IAF complex as the security forces were ready to take them on, the sources said, about the operation which was supervised directly by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
The Pathankot IAF facility, located about 40 kms away from the border with Pakistan, is the base of MiG-21 fighter planes and Mi-25 attack helicopters of Air Force.
Meanwhile, the United States has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on an air force base in Punjab's Pathankot. "We extend our condolences to the victims and their families. The United States is committed to our strong partnership with the Indian government to combat terrorism. We urge all countries in the region to work together to disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks and to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous act," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
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