Seen and heard - Skeletal building, bodies and a shoe

The bodies of two of the six terrorists who had attacked the
Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. (PTI)

IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI, TT, GROUND REPORT- Pathankot, Jan. 6: The skeleton of a two-storey building stands testimony to the last stand the two holdout terrorists took against security forces at Air Force Station Pathankot.

The building, eventually blown up with cannons to eliminate the explosive-laden terrorists, housed around two dozen small hostel-like flats meant for unmarried soldiers.

Nearly 500 metres away, the bodies of four terrorists were sprawled next to each other near thick, shrubby vegetation. The terrorists used suicide vests and grenades, which sprayed debris all over, and bullet holes have punctured the wall of a building nearby. 

These are the sights that greeted a group of journalists who were shown from inside a bus a part of the trail of destruction inside the domestic area of the airbase.  No cameras or mobile phones were allowed and the journalists were not allowed to get off the bus.

As the bus moved forward, a lone shoe left behind in a corner could be seen.

On the other side, the windshields of two vehicles were peppered with bullet holes. Shards of glass carpeted a stretch near the military engineer services (MES) yard. A little away lay the carcass of a charred truck.

An official of the National Investigation Agency, which has taken over the probe from Punjab police, said the six terrorists were suspected to have first reached the MES warehouse, about 1,000 metres from the main gate. The first shot rang out from the MES yard, where heavy vehicles are parked.

“They had holed up there for a couple of hours and then had gone towards the mess from behind the soldiers’ hostel where four terrorists engaged the security forces,” he said.

The six attackers appeared to have split into two groups of four and two somewhere near here.

The four stood guard, probably offering covering fire, while the two headed towards the two-storey building meant to house  soldiers.

Near the Defence Security Corps mess, three terrorists were gunned down. Another body was found 50 metres away. “It seems they had reached deep into the interiors of the base and were not far from the residential area,” the NIA official said.

Around 3,000 people, mostly family members of airmen and officers, live inside the complex. A school building inside is still under lock and key.

“The school used to be abuzz with activity in the afternoon but it is desolate now. We are still not sure when our children will start going to school,” said one of the residents, requesting anonymity.

Some departmental stores remained shut while canteens were open. Residents were seen coming out of the complex on two-wheelers to buy vegetables and other provisions. Their identity cards were checked by four air force policemen near the barricaded roads leading to the main gate.

“Normality is returning but the fear of the unknown is still there. We had discovered what hell on earth is like over the past four days. We locked ourselves during the seemingly endless gun battle,” said a woman in her forties who came out to buy vegetables and chicken from the Pathankot city market.

“Sleeping is still quite difficult…. It is such a high-security area but falling asleep after what happened inside…” she added.

Puffing on a cigarette, another resident said: “Over the past few days there were regular bouts of firing. The ferocity of the onslaught came as a big shock to us. It seems the attackers had come prepared for a long siege.”

A National Security Guard personnel added: “The way they went about their business, they looked liked our own commandos.”