Pathankot terror strike: How the attack was launched

Pathankot, Jan 2: On the second day of the year 2016, Punjab witnessed a major terror attack. This brings back memories of the horrific Gurdaspur attack, which was carried out in similar fashion.

At around 3.30 AM, a group of four to five terrorists launched an attack at the Air Force station in Pathankot, Punjab. All of them are suspected to have made their dissent into India from Pakistan, police officials say.

The terror strike, which took place early this morning is being linked to the incident that took place last night in which a driver was killed and the vehicle of a police official was stolen. The terrorists who appear to be part of the same group that carried out the Gurdaspur attack were dressed in army fatigues and heavily armed.

The modus operandi:

It is being suspected that the group of four terrorists had entered into India with an intention of launching a major strike at a defence installation. They are said to have hired a vehicle. The police suspect that the terrorists may have killed the driver of the taxi Ikagar Singh. His body was found with his throat slit.

The terrorists are then said to have punctured the tyres of the taxi. Later on at the Jammu-Pathankot highway they waylaid a car in which Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his friend Rajesh Verma, a jeweller, and Verma’s cook Madan Gopal were present. The officer who gave his statement said that there was a group of five men who threatened them at gun point. After driving for around 20 kilometres, the officer and the other persons were forced out of the car.

The police suspect that this incident may be directly linked to the firing that took place this morning at the Pathankot airbase.

It is, however, not clear if the same vehicle these terrorists had stolen was used to reach the attack spot. Preliminary investigations however suggest that it may be the same vehicle used by the terrorists to reach the spot as it was an official car and they could have gone through without being spotted by the security forces, officials also point out.

OneIndia News