Foreign secretary-level talks likely to be postponed after Pathankot terror attack

NIA registers 3 cases to probe conspiracy

After operations lasting three days, security forces on Monday killed two more Pakistani terrorists within the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot, with the government saying six of them have now been neutralised, but it was not clear whether all the intruders have been eliminated. The National Investigation Agency on Monday registered three cases to probe the entire conspiracy behind the strike.

The United Jihad Council (UJC), an umbrella group of Pakistan-based jihadi outfits formed in November 1990 to bring on a single platform all the outfits involved in violence in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), claimed responsibility for the Pathankot attack. Press releases from the UJC reached the offices of most major newspapers in Srinagar in the afternoon on Monday. However, the government debunked these claims as a ploy to divert attention from the real conspirators.

In a parallel operation, three men having Pakistan SIM cards, pistols with Brazilian, Chinese and Pakistani markings and other explosive material, were caught from Mohali - not far from the Wagah border. Opinion is divided whether these men were drug smugglers or if they had a role to play in the Pathankot attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with top officials, including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to discuss the attack. Modi was briefed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Doval, who was to leave for Beijing, postponed his visit. However, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was on a two-day state visit to Sri Lanka starting January 4, proceeded to Colombo as scheduled.

After a day of furious fighting, all militants were killed so no interrogation could take place as to the route of ingress or who their real handlers were. But, a deeply offended India mulled how to ratchet up the costs for the sponsors of this move: whether to call off the India-Pakistan foreign secretary level talks due on January 15; or to seek accountability from the Pakistan government, which has pledged time and again to stop all terrorist activity on its soil. All the indications are that the talks between foreign secretaries will be rescheduled and NSAs will meet first to discuss Pathankot.

However, perhaps anticipating this, the Syed Salahuddin-led UJC spoke up and took responsibility to deflect fingers pointing at the Pakistani state.

The UJC was originally formed with the twin objective of preventing rival terrorist groups from squabbling among themselves and creating a command and control structure of the Hizb ul Mujahideen-led UJC to enable Pakistani intelligence to have tighter control over its running. The Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Al Badr Mujahideen were brought into the UJC. The headquarters of the UJC is at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

But, the government said the men who had been killed were from Multan - not PoK. They said this was evident from the call records. Moreover, the level of training and ammunition used suggested institutionalised training.

"The Indian government and its media have been suffering from Pakistan phobia. By accusing Pakistan for every attack, India neither succeeded in the past to malign the Kashmir freedom struggle nor will it get anything in future through malicious propaganda," the UJC spokesperson said. He added militants in Kashmir had been fighting Indian Forces for the past 27 years and during this period India adopted all available means to "crush the Kashmir movement".

"The attack on Pathankot Air Base from Kashmiri Mujhadeen carries a message to India that no security establishment and garrison are out of reach from militants," said the spokesman.

"Instead of accusing Pakistan, India should read the writing on the wall and without wasting any time should provide an opportunity to the people of Kashmir to decide their future," the statement read.

However, India is not rushing to attribute blame or make accusations. Indications are that it will move deliberately and slowly.

The National Security Guard (NSG) said the attack was a fidayeen attack - which means those who mounted it knew they were going to their death. "These terrorists had come well prepared and were heavily armed," the NSG said in a short briefing.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley, who attended a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, said the government wanted to capture as many militants alive as possible, which is why the operation took longer. He said as the operation was still going on (one militant was yet to found), it would be premature to comment. The government seemed to suggest the delay in countering the militants was not because of inefficiency, but as part of a deliberate strategy.