2016 Pathankot attack
| 2016 Pathankot attack | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pathankot AFS, Punjab, India |
| Coordinates | 32°14′01″N 75°38′04″E / 32.23361°N 75.63444°ECoordinates: 32°14′01″N 75°38′04″E / 32.23361°N 75.63444°E |
| Date | 2–5 January 2016 Began at 03:30 (IST) |
| Target | Indian Air Force |
|
Attack type
|
Terrorism |
| Weapons | AK-47, Grenades, IED |
| Deaths | 4-6 attackers. 1 civilian and 7 security personnel (5 Defence Security Corps personnel; 1 IAF Garud commando; 1 National Security Guard) |
|
Non-fatal injuries
|
20 (8 IAF and 12 National Security Guard) |
| Victims | One civilian, Soldiers defending the base |
| Perpetrators |
4-6 attackers (possibly more)
|
| Defenders | |
4-6 attackers (possibly more)
The 2016 Pathankot attack was a terrorist attack committed on 2 January 2016 by a heavily armed group which attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force.
Four attackers and two security forces personnel were killed in the initial battle, with an additional security force member dying from injuries hours later. The gun battle and the subsequent combing operation lasted about 17 hours on 2 January, resulting in five attackers and three security personnel dead. A further three soldiers died after being admitted to hospital with injuries, raising the death toll to six soldiers. On 3 January, fresh gunshots were heard, and another security officer was killed by an IED explosion. The operation continued on 4 January, and a fifth attacker was confirmed killed. Not until a final terrorist was reported killed on 5 January was the anti-terrorist operation declared over, though further searches continued for some time.
Described as a terrorist incident in the Indian and foreign media, the attack received wide international condemnation. Though the United Jihad Council, a Kashmir-based militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack on 4 January, the attackers, who were wearing Indian Army fatigues, were subsequently suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed, an Islamist militant group designated a terrorist organisation by India, the US, the UK and the UN.
The attack led to a breakdown in India-Pakistan relations, which remained largely unresolved as of June 2016. Media reports suggested that the attack was an attempt to derail a fragile peace process meant to stabilise the deteriorated relations between India and Pakistan, as several pieces of evidence were found linking the attackers to Pakistan.
On the night of 31 December 2015, four men hijacked a multi-utility vehicle belonging to Salwinder Singh, a superintendent of the Punjab Police, in Dinanagar. In the process, they slit the throat of jeweller Rajesh Kumar, who was later admitted to a hospital. The vehicle was found abandoned about 500 metres away from the airbase. The attackers are also suspected to have murdered Ikagar Singh, a civilian taxi driver, before the hijacking. Later, the carjacking was reportedly linked to the attack; the carjackers did not recognise it as a police car since its lights were turned off.
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Wikipedia