Combing op at IAF base over, Gurdaspur, Pathankot on alert

The massive combing operation at the Air Force station here ended on Friday, seven days after six terrorists struck, even as Pathankot and Gurdaspur  districts remained on high alert in the wake of reported sighting of two men in Army fatigues two days ago.

"The combing operation at the Air Force station is over," a senior IAF official said, adding the entire area has been sanitised. The sanitisation operation had been going on for the last three days ever since the six terrorists were gunned down. The operation, which aimed to ensure that no terrorist was hiding at the IAF base, was carried out jointly by Army, NSG and IAF's Garud commandos.

The official said the IAF was "sharing and supporting" the NIA with the inputs. The NIA has investigated the personnel of Defence Services Corps (DSC) in connection with the terror attack.

However, Pathankot and Gurdaspur are still on high alert in the wake of claims by locals in a village that they had seen two men in Army fatigues moving in a suspicious manner on Wednesday. Army and police, including the SWAT commandos, are carrying out search and combing operations in the districts, particularly near the Tibri Cantonment area of Gurdaspur, where the suspected terrorists are believed to have been sighted. 

Pathankot SSP RK Bakshi said all vehicles and individuals in Pathankot and nearby villages and towns are being thoroughly checked as a precautionary measure.