Corrupt Police officers helped in the attack on an Air-Force base in Punjab : A foreign publication

Editorial comments

  • How do the Indian intelligence agencies, with all the machinery at their disposal, fail to get the information obtained by foreign reporters ? People of this country should know whether such information was deliberately suppressed !
  • What steps is the Government going to take to give capital punishment to these corrupt and anti-national Police officers ?


New Delhi – The local Police officers were also involved in the attack on the Air-force base at Pathankot (Punjab). These corrupt officers had kept a watch on this base before the attack. One of them found a deserted road leading to the air-base which was used by the terrorists to carry ammunition, grenades, mortar and AK-47 rifles. The above claim has been made by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark, the two reporters in their book titled ‘Spy Stories: Inside the Secret World of the ‘RAW’ and the ISI’. The airbase was attacked on 2nd January 2016 by terrorists who had come wearing the uniform of the Indian army. They had come via a road along the bank of River Ravi on the India-Pakistan border. After reaching the Indian border, they stole a few vehicles and went in the direction of Pathankot. Crossing the wall of the Air-force camp, they went to the area where soldiers were staying. In the skirmish that followed later, 3 terrorists had died and 3 soldiers were martyred. In a bomb blast, 4 more Indian soldiers lost their lives on the following day. It took the armed forces 3 days to declare that the situation was totally under their control.

Negligence despite receiving notice about security arrangements!

These reporters have stated that despite getting notice, again and again, India did not beef up the security arrangements. There is no fence on a stretch of more than 91 km border of Punjab. It was suggested in at least 4 reports that the rivers and ravines could be sensitive areas for infiltration, but no action was taken on the reports. A warning was given 6 times in writing, about the sensitive matter but patrolling was not enhanced. No arrangements were made for surveillance.

Corrupt police officers kept a watch

350 kgs of explosives were bought in India for the attack which was financed by Jaish-e-Mohammad. It was suspected that along with the local Police officers, Indian connections of terrorists kept an eye on the air-base. One of the Police officers searched for the area where security arrangements were weak and the area was not covered by CCTV cameras. There was no equipment for keeping surveillance. Only due to the help by the Police officers, terrorists could carry 50 kgs of explosives, 30 kgs of grenades, mortar and AK-47 rifles to the base of the Air-force.