Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 12: Even as the National Investigating Agency (NIA) has pointed out glaring flaws leading to intrusion of militants from the International Border, the Government has decided to move Interpol to secure “black corner notice” to identify four out of six terrorists, who were killed inside the air base after January 2 attack.
Meanwhile, a high level NIA team probing Pathankot terror attack today visited Rajbagh and Hiranagar police stations in Kathua district and Samba police station in Samba district, where Army and police installations had faced terror strikes during past two years, to find out similarities in the modus operandi of the terrorists.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the NIA team inter-acted with police officers, who were involved in operations against the militants followed by investigation of the cases and witnessed arms, ammunition and explosive material recovered from them.
There had been three terror attacks in Jammu and Kathua districts during past two years. In the first attack, militants had struck at Hiranagar police station and Army camp at Samba while in the second attack, they had carried out strike at Rajbagh police station in Kathua district. In the third attack, they had struck at another Army camp in Samba.
They said the agency could spot glaring similarities in the modus operandi of the terrorists, who staged attack on Kathua, Samba and those attacking Pathankot IAF base. The sources said the group which attacked the Samba Army camp was also carrying enough eatables and supplies for long haul fight with security forces.
Meanwhile, sources said, in a bid to nail Pakistan and establish involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit behind Pathankot terror attack, the NIA would approach the Centre Government to approach Interpol to issue “black corner notice” to identify four terrorists killed in the attack.
Though the NIA, which was investigating the terror attack in which seven security personnel and six militants were killed, was sure that all six militants were Pakistani nationals, bodies of two of them were beyond recognition as they were buried under debris of multi-storeyed building inside the airbase at Pathankot. However, bodies of four other militants have been kept in mortuary of the hospital for identification.
Sources said the NIA has enough proof to establish that the attackers were Pakistanis including the calls they had made to their handlers and family members in Pakistan from the mobile telephone of Innova taxi driver, who was later killed and cook of SP Salwinder Singh, who was kidnapped after infiltration inside the Indian territory.
Many other evidences like ‘Make in Pakistan’ mark on shoes, batteries of IEDs and some other material also pointed out the nationality of militants as Pakistanis but, according to sources, confirmation of the nationality by the Interpol will lend credence to the Indian version.
The NIA today recovered one more mobile phone, one AK-47 magazine and binocular from the encounter site during search operations, sources said.
“NIA teams are examining witnesses in Punjab, both inside the Pathankot Air Force station and outside,” they said.
Meanwhile, sources said, during its initial investigations, the NIA has detected some glaring flaws in security apparatus that led to intrusion if six militants inside the Indian territory from the International Border (IB) from forward village of Bamiyal along river Beas in Pathankot sector of Punjab.
It was understood to have pointed out that even the cattle grazers used to enter the IAF airbase for grazing the cattle, which was serious lapse. The grazers were not put to security checks even, it said, adding the locals living in adjoining areas of Pathankot air base used to enter the premises after paying as low as Rs 20 to security guards to graze their cattle and even shop in the CSD canteen.
Intelligence agencies have informed the Home Ministry that it was a common practice for many people to enter the sensitive Air Force base with their cattle for grazing after paying the guards deployed in a few isolated gates.
There are several hundred population of Gujjar community who herd cattle and they found the grass inside the campus suitable for grazing.
Alarmed by the terrorist attack, the Punjab Governm-ent has now initiated the process of head-count of the Gujjar population living near the air base to ensure security in the vicinity, the inputs said.
There are several shops, including CSD canteen, inside the Pathankot air base and there have been reports that many locals go to shop there.
While some of the locals even made identity cards while some other pay the security guards to enter the premises, the inputs suggest.
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