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Pathankot: Gunmen attack India air force base near Pakistan border | Pathankot: Gunmen attack India air force base near Pakistan border |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Four gunmen and at least two soldiers have been killed in an overnight attack on an Indian air force base near the Pakistani border, officials say. | |
Security forces say the operation to secure the Pathankot base is now over, after a battle lasting several hours. | |
The heavily-armed militants were dressed in Indian army uniforms. | |
The attack came days after the Indian and Pakistani leaders, Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif, met in Lahore to launch a surprise peace initiative. | |
The whole of India's Punjab state has been placed on alert. | The whole of India's Punjab state has been placed on alert. |
The base is on the main highway leading to Indian-administered Kashmir. | The base is on the main highway leading to Indian-administered Kashmir. |
Militant allegation | Militant allegation |
The gunmen drove a hijacked car when they launched the attack at 03:30 (22:00 GMT Friday). | |
They entered living quarters at the base, but were contained there and so were unable to cause any damage to military hardware, said air force spokeswoman Rochelle D'Silva. | They entered living quarters at the base, but were contained there and so were unable to cause any damage to military hardware, said air force spokeswoman Rochelle D'Silva. |
On Saturday morning, fresh gunfire was heard and a helicopter seen firing at an area inside the base. | On Saturday morning, fresh gunfire was heard and a helicopter seen firing at an area inside the base. |
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says it is not yet clear who the attackers were - but suspicion is already falling on Kashmiri militant groups based in Pakistan. | |
Some Indian security officials suggested the Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was to blame. | Some Indian security officials suggested the Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was to blame. |
India says the group is backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad denies this. | India says the group is backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad denies this. |
In August seven people were killed in a similar attack when gunmen stormed a police station in nearby Gurdaspur district. | In August seven people were killed in a similar attack when gunmen stormed a police station in nearby Gurdaspur district. |
The three attackers in Gurdaspur were killed after a 12-hour standoff with police. | The three attackers in Gurdaspur were killed after a 12-hour standoff with police. |
Pathankot air force base is about 430km (270 miles) north of the Indian capital, Delhi and is on the road linking Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of the country. | Pathankot air force base is about 430km (270 miles) north of the Indian capital, Delhi and is on the road linking Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of the country. |
Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a long-running insurgency against rule from Delhi, and Kashmir has been a flashpoint in relations between Pakistan and India for nearly 70 years since independence. | Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a long-running insurgency against rule from Delhi, and Kashmir has been a flashpoint in relations between Pakistan and India for nearly 70 years since independence. |