Indian military personnel are still battling at least two gunmen at an air base near the Pakistani border, more than 36 hours after the base was attacked, an Indian official said today.
The attack began shortly before dawn on Saturday when a group of extremists entered the dormitory section of the base, India's Defense Ministry said. The exchange of fire lasted about 14 hours.
At least 11 people died in the confrontation, seven soldiers and four attackers.
Home Minister Rajiv Merishi said today that the extremists appear to be surrounded and that he expects "they will be neutralized soon".
Air Force spokesperson Rochelle D'Silva said operations to secure the Pathankot air base continued today.
The media reports that a member of the special forces was killed today while demolishing explosives.
Pathankot is located in the Indian state of Punjab, on the highway that connects the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Police are investigating whether the attackers came from that part of the country or from neighboring Pakistan.
The attack happened just a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan. It was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Pakistan in 12 years and marked a significant thaw in relations between the two countries.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir, where insurgents have been fighting since 1989 for independence or a merger with Pakistan, is divided between India and Pakistan, but both countries claim the entire territory.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents in Kashmir, which Islamabad denies. Many in India see the attack as an attempt to halt recent progress in improving relations between India and Pakistan.
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