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.
“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.
