Fresh firing started on Sunday at the Pathankot Air Force base with two more militants suspected to be holed up in the area.

“A fresh contact has been established and there was brief firing,” a senior Army official said.

Reinforcements have been sent to the area of operation. Five companies comprising nearly 500 personnel have been deployed by the Army in the operation.

Terrorists holed up

“There is a possibility of two more terrorists being holed up at the Air Force base station,” Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, DIG Border Range, Punjab Police said

He said the search and combing operation was underway and that further details would be shared later on.

Accidental explosion kills Lt. Colonel, toll rises to seven

A senior officer of the National Security Guard (NSG) was killed in an accidental explosion during combing operations at Pathankot air base on Sunday pushing the number of casualties among security forces to seven. The officer has been identified as Lt Col Niranjan.

Defence ministry officials said that it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which went off during combing operations in the morning which killed Lt Col Niranjan and likely injuring few others.

(PTI)