Pathankot attack: `For a mere Rs 50, one could enter airbase illegally`

Pathankot: A probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the Pathankot Air Force base terror attack has revealed glaring lapses, as per a media report.

As per CNN-IBN news channel, the NIA probe has established that insider help – willingly or unwillingly – was provided to terrorists who attacked the airbase early on January 2 this year.

The investigation so far has found that illegal entry was being allowed into the Pathankot airbase for a meagre sum of Rs 50 the website said.

As per sources, locals were allowed to bring cattle inside the airbase for grazing by paying Rs 50.

The NIA is now going through call details to find out who provided inside help to the terrorists, as per the report.

Mobile tower records in the area are also being probed.

However CNN IBN later put out a correction saying - "We had earlier reported that cattle grazers were allowed entry to Pathankot air base for Rs 50. This has been denied by NIA".

Reports earlier had also hinted that an insider could have aided the terrorists in infiltrating into the airbase.

Reports claimed that arms and ammunitions used by the attackers were smuggled much before the encounter began at 3.30 am on January 2.

For the group of militants, which carried out the attack on Pathankot Air Force base, it would not have been possible to cross the international border, hijack vehicles, jump a 10-feet high boundary wall around the airbase while carrying all arms and ammunition.

The point that the attackers were heavily armed can be made out from the fact that it took almost three days for the security forces to sanitise the area even after the attackers were gunned down in just a few hours.

Also, another fact has caught the attention of the probe agencies - three floodlights were found turned upward on the night of the attack.

Investigators had earlier detained an employee of the Army’s Military and Engineering Services (MES) in connection with the development.

The terrorists are believed to have entered the airbase by climbing an 11-foot-high wall.

Investigations revealed that when that breach happened, floodlights deployed in that area of the airbase were not functioning.

As per reports, three of the powerful lights were found “turned upward” and directed away from the stretch of the wall, thereby making the area a zone of darkness.

Sources said except these three, all other floodlights in the area were in their original position.

Also, the 'Y' iron angles on the wall that hold the razor wire in place were also found to have been tampered along the stretch and the wire was cut through.