Two days after attack, gunmen still holed up at Indian air force base

PATHANKOT: More than two days after several gunmen attacked an air force base in Pathankot, Indian security forces were unable to clear the heavily-fortified compound, with officials saying at least two gunmen were still holed up in a two-story building.

Seven troops and four gunmen have been killed so far in fighting that started after several suspected militants infiltrated the Pathankot air force base before dawn Saturday.

Defense officials have said that authorities had been alerted about a potential attack in the area on Friday, and that aerial surveillance at the base spotted the gunmen as they entered the compound, leading to criticism of the handling of the situation.

The Indian army said in a statement Monday that the building where the remaining gunmen were firing from is part of the living quarters on the base.

Maj. Gen. Dushyant Singh, from India's elite National Security Guard, told reporters in Pathankot that it will take a "long time" to declare the base completely secure because of its size and geography.

The sprawling Pathankot air force base is spread over more than 2,000 acres, including some forested sections with very tall grass. The commanding officer of the base, Lt. Col. J.S. Dhamoon, described it as a "mini-city" that includes homes for families and a school for the children of the personnel stationed there.

Officials have said that there have been no civilian casualties and that no aircraft or military equipment has been damaged in the fighting.

The base houses a fleet of India's Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets and Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters, along with other military hardware.

'Major goof-up'

The fact that seven Indian troops inside a military base were killed despite intelligence alerts has raised several questions.

"The biggest problem is the multiplicity of command and control. Nobody knows who is really in charge," said Rahul Bedi, an analyst for Jane's Information Group.

The Pathankot base and the northern state of Indian Punjab, where it is located, has "probably the highest concentration of military personnel in India because it's so close to the border with Pakistan," Bedi said.

"It's a huge embarrassment," he said. "It's a major goof-up for everybody."

Since Saturday morning, the base has been swarming with air force commandos, army soldiers, National Security Guard troops and local police. Officials, however, have refused to say how many security personnel in all were involved in the fighting and operations to secure the base.

There has also been no clear source of information on the attack for the media. Home Minister Rajnath Singh even tweeted Saturday night to congratulate the troops for successfully killing all of the gunmen.

The violence follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise Dec. 25 visit to Pakistan, where he met his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif — a trip that marked a significant thaw in the mostly tense relations between the two neighbors.