Pathankot terror attack: Pre-positioned Crack counter militant troops, NSG minimized damage

NEW DELHI: Crack counter militant troops and a NSG team prepositioned at the Pathankot air base in anticipation of an attack contained the terror strike, minimizing damage to the installation as well as preventing them from entering the technical area that houses fighter aircraft and choppers.

Sources monitoring the operations at Pathankot have told ET that troops from the 11 JAK RIF regiment were moved in to the airbase on Friday night, hours before the fidayeen attack took place. These troops, who were accompanied by NSG commandoes flown in specially after intelligence inputs of a terror attack, were instrumental in containing the damage.

While details are yet to come in, valiant accounts have been received of at least six soldiers – three from the Army and NSG each – who received grenade splinter injuries but went right back to combing operations after minimal first aid on the spot.

A formal account of the attack is still to come but it is believed that all of the Indian casualties occurred at the entry point used by the militants. The official count for Indian deaths in the operation is three while sources on the ground indicate that as many as six personnel may have been martyred. A final count is expected by Sunday morning.

Follow @ETDefence Twitter handle for comprehensive coverage on other buzzing Defence stories


"All the fatal casualties occurred at the entry point when the terrorists fired while getting in. DSC guards and a Garud commando at the point were killed in the initial firing. One of the terrorists also died during entry. The remaining three were killed in subsequent army and NSG operations," a senior official told ET.

Sources say that the NSG troops and the JAK RIF unit were moved to the technical area of the airbase on Friday night. The technical area houses the flying and combat assets of the base. The administrative area – which houses offices and other units – was being guarded by the DSC and Garud commandoes.

"The militants could not enter the technical area due to the heavy guard and were contained to administrative area after entry. They were then picked off carefully by the NSG and Army soldiers. No fatal casualty occurred during this part of the operation though six were injured when one terrorist let off a grenade," the official said.

Combing and clearing operations are expected to continue till Sunday morning as troops go through the air base and its surrounding areas.