Sonia Gandhi pays homage to Pathankot martyrs

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday paid homage to the seven security personnel killed during the gunfight with terrorists at the frontline air force base in Pathankot in Punjab.

She also expressed concern for the safety of families and strategic assets of the Indian Air Force at the base.

Sonia Gandhi salutes the valour of our security forces and pays homage to the seven martyrs, who made the supreme sacrifice while neutralising Pakistani terrorists in Pathankot, a Congress statement said here.

She hoped that the central government was seized of the serious internal security situation amid intelligence reports of more terrorist modules and will take all necessary steps to neutralise the terror threats, besides ensuring adequate security of citizens and strategic assets, the statement added.

Five terrorists have been killed by security forces at the airbase till now in an operation in which the National Security Guard, Indian Army and IAF commandos are involved, assisted by IAF helicopters.

An NSG officer, one IAF Garud commando and five Defence Services Corps personnel were killed by the terrorists.

Twenty personnel, including 12 from the NSG and eight from the IAF, were injured. A grievously injured securityman was flown to Chandigarh for treatment on Sunday.