Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conducted an aerial survey of the border area.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the air force base in Punjab's Pathankot district that was attacked by six terrorists from Pakistan on January 2. Accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, he spent almost two hours there.
Here is a 10-point cheat-sheet to this story:
Soon after the PM arrived at the air base, he was briefed about the attack by Air Commodore J S Dhamoon and other senior officials of the Army, the Air Force and the National Security Guard with the help of maps and aerial pictures.
Praising the counteroffensive launched to neutralize the terrorists, he later said in a tweet: "Noted with satisfaction the decision-making and its execution, the considerations that went into our tactical response."
"Lauded bravery & determination of our men & women on the ground. They are our pride," the PM added in another tweet after the visit.
At the base, he went to see the area where the terrorists were first engaged by the security forces. He was then shown the huge cache of weapons recovered from the six terrorists. Seven security personnel were martyred and another 20 were injured in the attack.
PM Modi also visited the area where the last two terrorists were killed after the building they were hiding in was blown up, Later, he conducted an aerial survey of the border area.
Calling the visit a "mere photo op," the Congress said the "need of the hour is to ensure action by Pakistan against Jaish-e- Mohammad, a thorough review of security safeguards and affixing responsibility for security lapses."
The security forces had declared the air force station in Pathankot, where India keeps fighter jets and attack helicopters, fully sanitized on Friday.
The attack in Pathankot came just a week after the PM made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He has conveyed to Mr Sharif that India wants to see urgent action taken against those who conceived and executed the attack.
The evidence furnished by India includes intercepts of phone calls made by the six terrorists to their handlers in Pakistan. Ammunition and other equipment recovered from them after they were killed were made in Pakistan.
India has indicated to Pakistan that crucial talks between the Foreign Secretaries of both countries are unlikely to go ahead next week unless Pakistan delivers "prompt and decisive action" on the evidence it has given.
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