PATHANKOT/NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) – Militants launched a deadly attack on an Indian Air Force base near the Pakistan border yesterday, exchanging fire with Indian forces who, backed by tanks and helicopters, battled for more than 15 hours before wresting back control of the compound.
The assault by gunmen disguised as soldiers, in which all five attackers and at least two guards were killed, came a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in an effort to revive bilateral talks.
Previous attempts at dialogue between the nuclear-armed neighbours have been derailed by similar incidents but, as Pakistani authorities condemned the raid, experts suggested the latest negotiations would prove more durable. “We have seen the same pattern again and again when there are attempts to restart the peace dialogue,” said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi.
“It may lead to a momentary pause in the …dialogue and attacks from the (Indian parliamentary) opposition for not pursuing a harder line, but I don’t think it will have a long-term impact.”
The gunmen entered the heavily fortified Pathankot base in India’s northwestern state of Punjab before dawn, officials said. Once inside, they opened fire indiscriminately.
They had earlier hijacked a police officer’s car and driven it to the base – tactics used in previous attacks believed to have been committed by Pakistani-trained militants, Punjab’s police chief Suresh Arora told Reuters.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for yesterday’s attack, in which a home ministry official said two guards were killed.
