Pathankot, Jan 4 : Three days on, security forces today neutralised two more militants holed up in the Pathankot air base as the attack raised questions over the fate of the Foreign Secretary level talks with Pakistan next week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a meeting of the National Security Council which discussed the attacks on Pathankot air base and the the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.
Neither anyone in the government nor those involved in the counter-terror operations were still ready to declare a closure to the attack in Pathankot as they declared that the “operations are still going on”.
National Security Guards Inspector General, Maj Gen Dushant Singh, who had earlier said four militants have been killed, told the media in the evening that they have been able to eliminate a fifth terrorist.
“The operations are still going on. We have been able to eliminate the fifth terrorist. Combing and search operations are going on. Given the magnitude of the operation of the air base, the operation will continue to be concluded till we are able to fully render the base safe,” he said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who briefed the media
in New Delhi on the meeting of the National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said four bodies have been recovered and “the remaining two bodies will be recovered”.
Jaitley said the security forces were able to confine the terrorists to the place where they intruded and kept at a “reasonable distance” from where the assets were located. “All the assets are safe,” he said.
As the government is said to be considering various options regarding the foreign secretary-level talks in wake of what is widely believed to be an attack by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, Finance Minister parried a question on whether the talks will go on.
“The operations are still on. Let the operations be over.
Then we will take decisions on these matters,” Jaitley said.
Asked if there was a link between the two attacks, he said it was too early to say anything. (Courtesy: News Agency)
