Pathankot terror attack: All five terrorists killed, PM Modi, Rajnath congratulate security forces

Pathankot: All five terrorists have been killed in Punjab's Pathankot, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in a series of tweets this evening.

"Proud of our Jawans and security forces," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Enemies of humanity who can't see India progress, such elements attacked in Pathankot but our security forces did not let them succeed."

"I congratulate our armed forces and other security forces on successfully neutralising all five terrorists in 'Pathankot Operation'," Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. "I salute our forces on successful operation in P'kot".

In a major security breach, terrorists entered a frontline Indian Air Force (IAF) base near this town in northern Punjab early Saturday and engaged the security forces in a fierce gunfight. However, after around 15-hours of combing operation all the five terrorists were killed by the Indian Army commandos.

Earlier Heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists today carried out a pre-dawn strike at the Air Force base here, Terrorists began their attack at around 3.30 am. Four terrorists were killed by the security forces within five hours. The terrorists, who are said were having infiltrated three days ago, launched the first ever attack on an Indian Air base at around 3.30 am, their obvious targets being MiG-21 fighter aircraft and MI-25 attack helicopters.

The terrorists, who struck just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unscheduled visit to Lahore, could not, however, penetrate the defence cordon at the air base with effective response from the security forces.

The attack is suspected to have been carried out by the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed. Sources say the attackers were from Bhawalpur in Pakistan and were ordered to blow up the helicopters stationed at the base.

Top security officials in Delhi said the intent of terrorists clearly was to cause maximum destruction at the Air base which was thwarted in "one of the most successful counter-terror operations".

Authorities said helicopters and other equipment at the Air base are safe.The operation was supervised directly by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.Anticipating an attack after some armed men abducted an SP of Punjab Police on Thursday night, a team of NSG commandos had been rushed to Pathankot last night itself.

The terrorists, with huge quantity of RDX in their possession, made their way to the base from the back side where there is a jungle.The terrorists had most likely entered the base through a drain that meets the Nalwa Bridge canal that is adjoining to the air base. They were wearing military uniform. Sources say the vehicle they used was the car of the Superintendent of Police of Gurdaspur hijacked in Pathankot yesterday.

The men had used the officer's phone to contact their handlers in Pakistan. The calls were intercepted by intelligence agencies, following which an alert was issued and forces were mobilised to cover key installations.

This was the second big terror attack in Punjab in less than a year. Three terrorists had stormed a police station in Dina Nagar in Gurdaspur in July last year before being eliminated in a 12-hour gunbattle.

The attack came just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with an aim of improving

 With the attack coming within 10 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goodwill visit to Pakistan, home minister Rajnath Singh said, "We want good ties with Pakistan but a befitting reply will be given to any terror attack."

with inputs from Zee news and Ndtv

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