Ravi Dhaliwal,Tribune New Service,Pathankot, January 16

Senior officials of the Ministry of Defense visited the air force station today and took cognisance of the innumerable gaps in the security of the base, including the all important 11- foot high perimeter wall.Six militants had entered the base in the wee hours of January 2 and started firing from the outskirts of the technical area which houses the hangars of a fighter squadron, helicopters and other equipment.The number of officials was kept a secret and the media was also not informed of the visit. The perimeter wall caught the attention of the officials as on January 1 the terrorists had entered the airbase from the western periphery wall where a clump of eucalyptus trees tower over the 11-foot high wall. The rear wall is near Akalgarh gurdwara and is also adjacent to the point from where the militants are suspected to have infiltrated into the complex.Six Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were gunned down by the security forces after a four-day gun battle. Seven Indian security personnel also lost their lives.The ease with which the terrorists penetrated the base carrying a huge cache of weapons has raised several questions on the safety and security of the air base.After the inspection, a senior MoD official signalled that the IAF staff, including senior officers, may face action over the security lapse.Ministry officials, however, confirmed that no insider was involved in the terror attack. Earlier, officers investigating the case had found that three fence floodlights at the base were pointing upwards while every other light there was in the right direction.An MES employee was questioned on this count.

Cop flees with 4 rifles, ‘joins’ militants

Two of his childhood friends reported to be missing for last couple of days

Suhail A Shah,Bijbehara, January 16

A police constable posted as an escort of a police officer in Bijbehara town of south Kashmir has decamped with at least four rifles.He is believed to have joined militant ranks, said police sources. Two of the constable’s friends are reported to be missing along with him.The absconding constable, 23-year-old Shakoor Parray, is a resident of Kundalan Shopian. He was posted in Bijbehara as part of the escort of Irshad Rather, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations).Rather was seriously injured in an attack by militants on December 24 last year and was being treated for his injuries at the Army’s Base Hospital in Srinagar.“The constable is missing with weapons. We believe that he may have joined militant ranks,” said a police officer from the area on the condition of anonymity.The sources said Parray fled from his place of posting on Friday night. They said two other persons from Parray’s village, believed to be his childhood friends, were missing for the last couple of days.The duo has been identified as 20-year-old Gazi Fayaz Dar and 17-year-old Aqib Ahmad Dar, both of whom are school dropouts.“The matter is being investigated. We are questioning the families of the missing trio,” the police officer said. This was not the first such incident in the militancy-infested Kashmir valley.In March last year, a security guard of Altaf Bukhari, then Minister for Roads and Buildings, decamped with two rifles and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. He is still is an active member of the militant outfit.In November last year, a policeman was reported to be absent without official leave two days after joining the police in Pulwama. He joined militants, but did not take any weapon with him.