Did a batch of two jihadis enter Pathankot airbase day before strike?

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency is probing if a batch of two terrorists among the six Pathankot fidayeens stayed holed up inside the Indian Air Force base for 20 hours before the other four, who had abducted the Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh, reached there.

Sources say that the two militants most likely entered the airbase much before the attack was launched at 3.30 am on January 2 on a patrol of IAF men.

Investigators suspect that there is possibility that the two militants noticed the activities inside from a secure corner inside the IAF Pathankot base and that’s why NSG, IAF and Army commandos noticed fire from two different sides. “The two groups may have known each other’s position inside the base only through firing,” said an officer.

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An official said that all these aspects are being probed by creating a sequence of events with the help of experts.

Meanwhile, the anti-terror agency has issued summons to Salwinder Singh to appear before it on Monday at its headquarters in Delhi for detailed interrogation. Sources say that he may also be subjected to a lie detection test, if required.

The agency has also picked up footprints in the fields found in a village near Bamiyal village and sent them to be examined to the central forensic lab in Chandigarh.

NIA’s teams are stationed in three different areas in Pathankot and Gurdaspur district for collecting evidence on the daring terrorist strike.

NIA director general Sharad Kumar met home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday and gave him a detailed briefing on the investigations carried out so far.

The NIA has also sought the call details of Ikagar Singh, the taxi driver who was killed by the terrorists. It has also sought the location of mobile towers through which the signals for those calls were routed. His past history was being also looked into.

It is probing three cases related to the attack. The first case pertains to Salwinder Singh’s abduction and the second for the killing of the taxi driver. Both the cases were registered at Narot Jaimal Singh police station in Pathankot district.

The third and the main case, registered at police station division No. 2 Pathankot, relates to the terrorist attack on the Air Force Station.

A 20-member team of NIA led by an inspector general-rank officer has been camping at Pathankot since January 2 to supervise the ongoing investigations.