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Punjab airbase gunfight enters third day, India says operation to prolong

Xinhua, January 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

As gunfight inside Indian Air Force (IAF) base in northern state of Punjab Monday entered the third day, Indian officials said the operation was likely to prolong.

"The operation will continue and is likely to take a long time," a top official of India's National Security Guard (NSG) told media. "Till now we have eliminated four terrorists and the operation to eliminate possibly two others, is in final stages."

A three-member team from India's NSG, Air Force and Army briefed the press about the operation.

According to officials, the operation was under way and they have secured all the assets at vital Pathankot airbase.

"Operation is going on smoothly and in an excellent manner," the official said.

Officials said the gunman have taken position in a two-storied building inside the base, from where they are firing on military positions.

"They are holed up in a two storied residential building," the officials said.

Reports from Pathankot said gunfire was intermittently going on inside the base.

Seven Indian troops have been killed fighting the gunmen inside the base.

Though Sunday's reports said five gunmen have been killed, officials confirmed to media only the killing of four gunmen.

The Pathankot airbase is about 430 km north of Indian capital city of New Delhi and adjacent to Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Though exact number of attackers remains unknown, a group of gunmen in military fatigues stormed the base on Saturday at 3:30 a.m.(local time)and triggered a gunfight.

Officials said a hijacked police car was used by gunmen in the attack.

India blame Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed militant outfit for the attack.

Reports said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday evening held a high-level meeting over the Pathankot attack.

The attack comes just days after the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lahore to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to give boost to the renewed peace initiative between two countries.

The attack has raised speculations over the continuation of the thaw in India-Pakistan relations.

Last year in July, at least 10 people including four policemen and three civilians were killed in an attack on a police station in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Endit