New Delhi: Union Finance minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley today said that the terror attack on the Pathankot air base was a Fidayeen (Suicide) attack with the objective to inflict maximum damage to strategic assets.
Jailtey further emphasised that the lessons learnt from the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks helped the security personnel at Pathankot. "A lot has been learnt from the Mumbai attacks, this led our security forces to stop the terrorists at the entrance and keep them at distance from our strategic assets," he said.
Jailtey was also all praise for the valour shown by the security personnel and said that they had been successful in meeting all objectives. “Security forces have been successful in meeting all three objectives of ensuring strategic assets not hurt; minimal damage and of liquidating or catching terrorists alive,” he said.
Jaitley further noted that it was too early to take a call on the proposed talks between India and Pakistan. “We are at a stage when operations are still on. We will only take a call on Indo-Pak talks once the operations are over,” Jaitley said.
The Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan are scheduled for later this month. However, the government is said to be in two minds following the attack carried out by suspected Pakistani terrorists.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier reviewed the situation arising out of the terror attack at Pathankot's air base. Soon after his return from Karnataka last night, he chaired a meeting of top officials including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on Sunday held meetings with former Indian envoys to Pakistan to discuss the way forward in wake of the Pathankot attack.
Meanwhile, encounter and combing operation is going on inside the Pathankot air base.
