Six including two security personnel killed in militant attack in northern India

Four gunmen and two guards were killed when unidentified militants attacked an Indian Air Force base near the Pakistan border on Saturday (January 2) in an apparent challenge to attempts to revive a dialog between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Officials said the gunmen, wearing army fatigues, managed to enter the Pathankot air base in India’s northwestern state of Punjab before dawn on Saturday. Once inside, they opened fire indiscriminately.

They had earlier hijacked a police officer’s car and driven it to the heavily guarded base – tactics used in earlier attacks believed to have been perpetrated by Pakistani-trained militants, Punjab’s police chief Suresh Arora told Reuters.

The four gunmen and two guards were confirmed killed, according to a home ministry official.

Sporadic gunfire and helicopters flying overhead could still be heard as an operation to comb the base in search of any more gunmen continued, police said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The attack came a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an impromptu visit to Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, in a bid to revive bilateral talks that had previously been derailed by militant attacks.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh told ANI, a Reuters affiliate: “Pakistan is our neighbour and we want peaceful relations with not just with Pakistan but with all our neighbouring nations. We also want peace but any militant attack on India will get a befitting response from India.”

His comments were interpreted by Indian analysts as showing restraint and indicating that New Delhi wanted to continue talks with Pakistan.

TV footage showed armed guards outside the heavily fortified air base, which is located 50 km (30 miles) from the border with Pakistan. Police stepped up vehicle checks in the area.

Indian security sources said that, based on their initial analysis, the attack may have been carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed, or the Army of Mohammed, a militant group based in Pakistan that demands independence for Indian-ruled Kashmir.

A civilian, who suffered bullet injuries in the firing, was rushed to Civil Hospital in Pathankot.

“One injured person has been brought to our hospital with gunshot injuries on his thigh and foot. All X-rays have been conducted and his chest and abdomen are absolutely clear,” said Senior Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, Dr. Bhupinder.

The raid resembled an assault last July by gunmen in uniform on a police post in a Punjabi border town that killed nine people.

However, Saturday’s pre-dawn attack was much more audacious in targeting a large military facility, from which India’s Russian-made fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets and Mi-35 attack helicopters fly.

The state of Punjab and neighboring Jammu were on high alert and all defense bases had been sealed.