Pathankot terror attack: NIA confused over number of terrorists killed in encounter

The investigative agencies probing the deadly terrorist attack at Indian Air Force Base in Pathankot seem unsure if 4 or 6 terrorists were killed in the encounter.

Published: February 8, 2016 9:22 AM IST

By India.com News Desk

Pathankot terror attack: NIA confused over number of terrorists killed in encounter

New Delhi, Feb 8: The investigative agencies probing the deadly terrorist attack at Indian Air Force Base in Pathankot seem unsure if 4 or 6 terrorists were killed in the encounter. Though the National Security Guard (NSG), which led the counter-terror operation, claimed it killed six terrorists, but doubts mounted after the agencies couldn’t found shreds where the two terrorists were neutralised.

“After neutralising four terrorists, the second ‘encounter’ with ‘two more terrorists’ took place on the ground floor of a two-storey building at the airbase. Since the building was demolished, we could find only ashes which may have pieces of flesh from the bodies of the dead terrorists. The ashes have been sent for forensic analysis to look for human DNA,” said a senior home ministry official was quoted by Hindustan Times. (ALSO READ: India will give tit-for-tat, says Manohar Parrikar)

The doubts raised after investigative agencies spotted human flesh but did not find shreds of garments in the ashes. In addition to it, no weapons were also found from the encounter site. “But the question is why not even a single shred of cloth worn by the terrorists was found in the ashes? When the bodies of terrorists would have fallen, at least the pieces of clothes on the underside should have survived. During the mopping up operation, shreds of heavy bedclothes were found, but there were no fragments of garments like the military dresses that the other four terrorists were wearing,” said the official.

“So, where are the rifles or pistols from which the two other terrorists were shooting? The second encounter went on for another 30 hours. No weapon was recovered from the second encounter site,” said an investigator. The investigative agencies are waiting now for the forensic report, which might reveal the exact number of terrorists killed in the gun-battle.

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