Indian air base attack 'heinous terrorist act': US

WASHINGTON: The deadly assault on an Indian air base near the Pakistan border Saturday was "a heinous" terrorist attack, the United States said, urging the two rivals to work together to hunt down those responsible.

Three security officers were killed in the attack by suspected militants on Pathankot base in northern Punjab state earlier Saturday.



At least four attackers also died in shootouts with security forces.

The attack threatens to derail talks between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars since independence in 1947.

"The United States is committed to our strong partnership with the Indian government to combat terrorism," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement, condemning the assault.

"We urge all countries in the region to work together to disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks and to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous act."

A fresh blast and gunshots were heard on Sunday inside India’s embattled Pathankot airbase near the Pakistan border where four gunmen and three security personnel were killed in a shootout on Saturday — an attack which is being seen as an apparent challenge to attempts to revive a dialogue between the nuclear-armed neighbours.



The sound of a blast was heard around 9am followed by armoured vehicles and commandos rushing towards the area and security forces resuming their combing operation in an around the base, The Hindu reported.

The news of the fresh blast comes a day after gunmen, wearing army fatigues, managed to enter the air base in the northwestern state of Punjab around 3.30am. Once inside, they opened fire indiscriminately. They had earlier hijacked the car of the superintendent of police on the Jammu-Pathankot highway and had killed one person while throwing the other occupants out. They drove the car to the heavily guarded base.