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PM Modi arrives in Pathankot air base

by IBNS 09 Jan 2016, 06:43 am

Pathankot, Jan 9 (IBNS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Pathankot to assess the situation after last week's terrorist attack in the Air Force station.

Reports said Modi  is slated to make an aerial survey of the area and  visit top Army and Indian Air Force officials

 The visit by the Prime Minister comes after the Centre faced sharp criticism over its handling of the Pathankot terror attack.

Meanwhile, Punjab Police have hiked security in Pathankot and Gurdaspur following the attack by Pakistani terrorists.

While six terrorists were killed in the three-day long battle, seven security personnel, including a Lt. Col. of the National Security Guard, martyred.

The high casualty that resulted from the alleged lack of coordination among security forces has evoked criticism from different quarters.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing investigations by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Pathankot Terrorist attacks, post mortem examinations of the bodies of the terrorists killed have been conducted at Pathankot Civil hospital on, a government statement said. 

Body tissues of the terrorists have been preserved for DNA sampling. 

During investigations, DNA samples have been collected from the vehicles used by the terrorists and the same are being sent for forensic examination.

Footprints suspected to be of the terrorists, have been lifted by forensic experts from Bamihal village in the border area and from within the Airforce station and have been sent to Central Forensic Science Lab (CFSL) for examination. 

All the arms and ammunitions used by the terrorists in the attack have been seized. These include AK series rifles, pistols, grenades and assorted ammunition. Other articles found on the bodies of the terrorists and from the crime scene and suspected to belong to the terrorists have been seized. 

These include food articles and medicines carried by the terrorists. Search of the Air force station campus is being conducted to recover any trace evidence left behind by the terrorists. 

SP Salwinder Singh has been summoned to NIA HQrs on Monday for questioning in connection with the investigation. He was abducted while riding a personal vehicle which was hijacked and later used by the terrorists on the night of 31st Dec, 2015. 

Four NIA teams are camping in districts of Punjab to verify the facts and examine witnesses in close cooperation with Punjab Police.