Pathankot attack: Govt will decide on Indo-Pak talks once operation gets over, says Jaitley

Delhi: After a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday that the terror strike at Pathankot air base was a fidayeen attack and the objective was to cause loss to its strategic assets.

"PM discussed Pathankot attack and Northeast quake at National Security Council meet today," Jaitley said.

"They were trained terrorists, suicide squads with the objective to inflict maximum damage. The way our security forces took prompt action prevented in major assets being destroyed" the FM added briefing the media here.

"Security forces succeeded in all objectives - minimal casualties, protecting strategic assets and neutralising terrorists," he reiterated.

"The terrorists were confined and four bodies are in possession of the security forces," Jaitley said.

On talks with Pakistan, he said, "Govt will decide on Indo-Pak talks once operation get over."

Answering a question on why the operation at the air base was a long on the FM maintained, "The expolsives were in huge number and the area was big, so the exercise took time. Even in Mumbai, the operation continued for a very long time because these are trained terrorists."

He refused to comment on who was behind the terror attack, "We are at a stage when the operations are on, and so we cannot talk about who is behind the attacks."