Body of sixth terrorist found, but combing operation to continue to sanitise air base

Vijay Mohan & Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service,Pathankot, January 5

While admitting lapses in following up Intelligence reports suggesting a terror strike on a key Air Force station here, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today refrained from directly blaming Pakistan for the attack that left seven personnel dead and about 20 injured. He declared that all six terrorists were killed inside the base and combing and search operations were on only to detect any unused ammunition.“I see some gaps in the process, which we would be able to establish only when the investigations are complete, but we did not compromise on the security of the base. The terrorists were contained within a 200-metre radius,” he said in response to a question.Pointing out that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had taken up the probe, he added that he would not like to comment on Pakistan’s role as the investigations were underway, though several items that appeared to be made in Pakistan had been recovered.While refusing to comment on the Border Security Force (BSF), that is responsible for guarding the international border, the Defence Minister said that the NIA has got some initial leads on how the terrorists infiltrated into India.Parrikar said the combing operations are likely to conclude tomorrow. “It is a very complicated task as every inch of a very vast and difficult area with many blind spots has to be combed to recover any IED or grenade that may have been left behind by the terrorists. The body of a terrorist still has a vest strapped to it, with the possibility of it being booby-trapped,” he said.The actual encounter began at 3.30 am on January 2 and finished by 7 pm the next day, and what followed was combing and sanitising operations, Parrikar said.On being asked if two terror attacks within a span of six months in the same sector in Punjab indicated deliberate targeting of the state, he said there could be many responses to this.The Defence Minister also went around the air base and was shown the site of the encounters with the terrorists, their hiding places and the recovered items as well as several “blinds” or undetonated grenades strewn in the area.

PATHANKOT ATTACK

NIA picks up SP for questioning

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service,Gurdaspur, January 5

Controversial former SP (Headquarters) Salwinder Singh was picked up by the National Investigation Agency sleuths for questioning today evening.The officer was taken to an undisclosed location in Gurdaspur, where he is being treated as a “witness” and not an “accused”. However, an officer revealed that he may be in trouble if the investigating agency founded something amiss.Singh, under transfer as Assistant Commandant, 75th Battalion, PAP, Jalandhar, was availing his “joining time” when he claimed that he was kidnapped on the night of December 31 by terrorists.He had said that he, Gurdaspur-based jeweller Rajesh Verma and his longtime cook Madan Gopal were taken hostage by “four or five Urdu-speaking men”. Twenty-four hours after his suspected abduction, five terrorists entered the Air Force complex in Pathankot and started firing.Sources said the NIA team politely questioned his security guards as to where the officer was. Once they were shown the way in, they asked him to accompany them. The SP did not resist.

NIA to seek Pak help

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

National Investigation Agency chief Sharad Kumar today said the Pathankot terror attack probe was a “very challenging task” and the agency would seek Pakistan’s help once the identity of those involved, both the killed terrorists and their handlers, was ascertained.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief, who would be flying to the Pathankot Air Force base tomorrow, said, “As a lot of investigation still needs to be done, I am not fixing any deadline. But we will try to complete the probe soon.”The Centre, it is learnt, would be sending to Pakistan a Letter Rogatory (LR), a formal request from a court to a foreign court for some type of judicial assistance. The LR would also carry with it DNA samples of the slain terrorists, their phone call details, number of handlers based in that country and other information to help nab the masterminds of the crime, sources said. The most common remedies sought by LR are service of process and taking of evidence. Kumar refrained from naming any terror group and also did not confirm whether the attackers came from Pakistan (as suggested by preliminary evidence).“Let us work first. We will be able to establish everything once we have some evidence to support our claims. The case has to be proved before the court of law and, therefore, I will refrain from making statements on speculation,” he said.Sources said DNA test on the six terrorists would be conducted as early as possible while the details of the phone calls made by the terrorists to their Pakistan-based handler were being prepared, which would also be submitted to Pakistan.The NIA is also likely to interrogate Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh and his two associates.