Current Events :
SOURCE: THE DIPLOMAT
The Bahrain International Air Show slated to be held between January 21-23 at the Sakhir Airbase in Bahrain is supposed to be the first international symposium where India will showcase its indigenously built, but much delayed, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas light combat aircraft. This move, reportedly taken at a “political level,” could place the Tejas as an export option in the future and will expose it to much wider scrutiny over its performance and offerings in the international market.
However, even though this may become an exciting time for the Tejas as a potential option for foreign militaries for their arsenal, it has an interesting competitor from its own neighborhood. The JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, jointly developed by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and its Pakistani partner, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), is also now in the export variety with similar attributes to those of the Tejas. In fact, at the Bahrain air show both the Tejas and the JF-17 are quite literally going to be pitted against each other, as they share parking space on the flight line tarmac right next to each other.
The HAL Tejas is still looking for its “carpe diem” moment, as the Indian Air Force, the project’s main beneficiary, has made no qualms in admitting that it is not pleased about the delays over the Tejas Mk II variant of the model that it urgently wants to induct into its fleet. Meanwhile, manufacturer HAL has offered the IAF a Mk 1A variant instead, saying the Mk II variant is not expected to have its first flight before 2019, or enter series production before 2024. On the other hand, the Block 1 JF-17s have already seen service with the Pakistan Air Force, and are now expected to be upgraded to Block 2 standards (which includes mid-air refuel capabilities and improved avionics).
Both India and Pakistan understand the worth of a fighter jet such as the JF-17 and the Tejas in the specific markets where they are likely to compete. The light, maneuverable, low-maintenance and comparatively cheap offerings represented by both variants could find many takers; however the fact that the JF-17 is available for purchase today has already given it a head start, even if its production output remains sluggish. Other countries such as Myanmar, Nigeria and Azerbaijan are known to have shown interest in the JF-17. Both India and Pakistan themselves have operated the MiG 21 (Pakistan as the Chinese license built version Chengdu F-7), one of the world’s most successful, duplicated, and cost-effective combat jets. Like the MiG 21 during its high-sales days, both the JF-17 and HAL Tejas could build customer bases in financially challenging areas such as Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, with many states looking for ‘low-end’ solutions to air defense needs.
The JF-17, now a predominantly a “for Pakistan by China” project (China does not operate the type in its military) made recent news after reports suggested that Sri Lanka was interested in purchasing eight JF-17s with further options. News of the deal came as Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a state visit to Colombo; however, since the visit Indian apprehensions regarding the deal, attempts to sell the Tejas instead, and a recent quick visit by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar seem to have stalled any such deal, if indeed one was in the making. Sri Lankan media outlets have said that the JF-17 discussion was “not on the table” with Pakistan, while an Indian defense news website has claimed that New Delhi is considering offering upgraded MiG 27s, a type already operated by Sri Lanka, free of cost to the country’s air force.
Even if India has, or in the future does manage to scuttle Sri Lanka’s attempts to procure the JF-17, the fact that it does not have the appropriate variant ready for IAF’s very own needs, let alone international suitors, is a wake up call to the country’s domestic military complex. India’s previous homegrown success story in military aviation, the HAL Dhruv or the Advanced Light Helicopter, also ran into turbulence with its only international military buyer, the South American nation of Ecuador had purchased seven of HAL’s Dhruv ALHs. However, since its addition to the Ecuadorian forces in 2009, four out of the seven helicopters have crashed. Two of the crashes were attributed to pilot error, but the other two were blamed on mechanical faults. Ecuador in October last year unilaterally cancelled its deal with HAL.
The new initiative by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi under his government’s flagship “Make In India” program, a drive to uplift India’s manufacturing sector, has accorded great importance to military development. India is currently one of the world’s largest importers of weapons despite having many indigenous flagship military programs, specifically in the aviation sector. However, a concoction of poor project execution, stretched resources, political oversight, and lack of culpability over failed programs have stalled or completely cancelled critical projects like the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), forcing the armed forces to look abroad to plug gaps.
For Make In India to be successful, concrete moves to develop India’s R&D sector and involving the private sector heavily into the fold with pro-market policies will be essential. India has huge potential not only to successfully service its own military needs, but to become an exporter of arms in the extremely competitive global military industrial complex, but only if it applies correct policies, political will, and strategic tact.
While the HAL Tejas remains a proud symbol of Indian industry, the fact that it took nearly three decades for the project to get where it is today should be made into a handbook for the government and associated agencies on how not to botch critical national security projects in the future. As of today, the JF-17 with its operational experience makes more sense for potential buyers. India may have had some influence in Sri Lanka’s interests for the JF-17, but it may not have the same leverage if other neighbors such as Myanmar or even Bangladesh consider the same option.
Kabir Taneja is a journalist and researcher specializing in foreign affairs, energy security and defence.
Tribune News Service,Dehradun, January 15
The much-awaited Civil Military Laisioning Conference will take place in Uttarakhand shortly.Talking to mediapersons in Dehradun on occasion of Army Day today, Uttarakhand sub area General Officer Commanding (GOC) Maj Gen Shammi Sabharwal said the laisioning conference, which holds key importance from both civil and military point of view, was expected to be held in the state shortly.The conference was an important platform to address various issues that affected the general public. The last Civil Military Laisioning Conference had taken place in 2012, he stated.Referring to Army Day, Maj Gen Sabharwal said army personnel of Uttarakhand sub area had re-dedicated themselves for the betterment of the nation as part of Army Day observation.Army Day symbolises tributes to valiant soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, he added. Several senior Uttarakhand sub area Army officials were present on the occasion.
Tribune News Service,Dehradun, January 15
Golden Key Division paid rich tributes to martyrs on the occasion of 68th Army Day here today. Brigadier Paritosh Pant, Deputy GOC, Golden Key Division, laid a wreath at the Golden Key War Memorial on behalf of the division.He complimented all ranks of the division who had dedicated their lives to the service of the nation. Remembering the martyrs, he said their sacrifices would never be forgotten.Army Day is celebrated on January 15 in the remembrance of late Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army who took charge from Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander, in 1949.Golden Key Division has a glorious history of valour and sacrifice which was displayed not only during World Wars but also with acts of bravery and unswerving sense of duty during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 15
Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa’s taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of our Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, on January 15, 1949.This year Chetak Corps organised a series of events to commemorate this auspicious day. The day started with paying respect to the courageous and brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice while defending the country, by a solemn wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial ‘Yodha Yaadgar’ by Lieutenant General DR Soni, General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps.Later, to honour the contribution of our veterans, war widows and veer naris a function was organised at Bathinda Military Station. Lieutenant General DR Soni, General Officer Commanding Chetak Corps, the chief host of the function welcomed all veterans, war widows and veer naris.During the interaction he reiterated that the Indian Army has always been committed to the well being of the veterans, widows and their dependents. Rendering care and compassion to the retired fraternity is an important part of the Army life.Apart from resolving pension related problems and resettlement issues, canteen service outlet, bank counters, ‘grievances cell’ were also established to address the problems of ex-servicemen, veer naris and war widows.Suman Soni, zonal president, AWWA, Chetak Corps felicitated and interacted with the veer naris and thanked them for their presence and assured them of all assistance.The veer naris, war widows and veterans thanked and extended their gratitude to the Chetak Corps for the concerted effort in organising the event and for looking after them.
Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 15
As patriotic music played in the background, and servers dressed up in fauji colours carrying trays of piping hot eatables, some seniors got to know each other over a cup of coffee.In a first-of-its-kind initiative, ex-Army officers with their spouses enjoyed an evening filled with music and fun outside their own set up. The occasion was Army Day, which was celebrated at a local hotel to honour the Army veterans.“I retired in 1987 and its for the first time that I am invited and honoured at a civilian gathering,” said Col Gurpreet Inder Sidhu (retd). With his wife Manjit Sidhu, he enjoyed the attention showered on them as they merrily walked the ramp. Col Gursewak Singh (retd) made an impressive picture with some 14 stars and medals shining on his chest. Enthusiastically he pointed out that the stars were for having fought the wars and rendering a fine service.He introduced his wife Bhupinder, who at one point of time during the Operation Prakram had six relatives on the border. “My husband, son, son-in-law, two brothers and a nephew were on the duty,” she said. Did it scare her? “No,” comes an emphatic reply.“In the Army, we are a unit, a family. Senior most officer’s wife would take us all in her cover. We would eat, play cards and even watch news together,” she smiled.In the company were AVSM Brig BJS Oberoi (retd) with his wife Rupinder, Brig Subhash Khullar (retd) with wife Kamal and Maj SS Parwana (retd) with his wife Simarjit. Remembering the wars with a sense of pride was the highlight of the evening and the couples enjoyed karaoke and danced on old numbers like “Awara Hoon”.Kamal Khullar, a proud wife, said, “My husband was a para commando. He would go for the jump and trust me I was scared at the slightest sound when he was at practice but then there comes the honour of being in the Army family.”“The idea behind the programme was to show gratitude towards the armymen who faced all kind of challenges so that we could enjoy a peaceful life,” said Deepak Gupta, organiser of the event.
Tribune News Service,Jalandhar, January 15
The Vajra Corps headquarters, Jalandhar, today celebrated the Army Day with a wreath-laying ceremony.The Army Day is celebrated on January 15th every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa’s taking over as the first Commander- in-Chief of the Indian Army of Independent India, on 15 January 1949. The Indian Army marks this day to pay homage and salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country.As a mark of respect to the martyrs, a solemn wreath laying ceremony with appropriate military decorum was held at “Vajra Shaurya Sthal”. The Wreath was laid by Lieutenant General JS Cheema, General Officer Commanding, Vajra Corps, followed by a large number of senior officers and Subedar Majors of the units. The event was attended by a large number of servicemen.As many as 250 NCC cadets and 20 students of Sainik School, Kapurthala were special invitees to the event.
Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 15
As many as 23 widows of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, who died in harness, were among 500 woman constables inducted into the force today. This is the largest batch of women constables to pass-out since women were allowed to join the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) a few years ago.While the Ministry of Home Affairs has a long standing policy to provide employment in the CAPFs on compassionate grounds to widows, they were earlier recruited for ministerial posts. Induction as constables in the CAPFs, other than the Central Reserve Police Force, which has special women’s battalions, is a recent development.ITBP officers said though relaxation in some rules like age limit was granted, the minimum educational and physical standards had to be met by them for induction as constables. Among them was a woman who had a young child and special arrangements were made for the child to stay at the basic training centre (BTC) here, the alma mater of all ITBP recruits.There have been instances of widows being recruited as constables in other CAPFs like the Border Security Force. Many of the new inductees are well educated. Though minimum qualification for induction as contables is Class X pass, 40 of them hold masters degree in commerce, education, science and arts. Only five per cent of the total number had the minimum educational qualification. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pardesh and Bihar had the highest contribution of recruits in the batch.The Director General ITBP, Krishna Chaudhary, reviewed the passing-out parade and gave away prizes for outstanding performance during the training. These included Shuhani Kunda (best in physical), Manshi (best in dirll), Gita Chaudhary (best in weapon handling), Shama (best in sports) and Deepika Tyagi (over all best trainee).The Deputy Inspector General, BTC, PS Papta, said the recruits had undergone a 44-week intensive training programme that included all aspects of service orientation and physical fitness.
Amit Khajuria,Tribune News Service,Jammu, December 31
In a major security concern, Pakistan has increased its mobile tower range near the international border, keeping security agencies on their toes. The Defence Ministry remains tightlipped on the issue.Pakistan has spread its mobile tower range across the international border, touching the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Jammu and Kashmir.Mobile phones in Kathua and Samba districts in Jammu and Kashmir are catching the service of Pakistani telecom operators, which have raised their signal strength near the international border.Pakistani telecom operators like Mobilink, Zong and PakUfone are active on National Highway 1, which connects Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. It had remained among the targets of terrorists for 12 years.After crossing Lakhanpur, prepaid mobile phones of networks from the rest of the country stop working and mobile phones start searching for network automatically.Some mobile networks from the other side of the border are tracked by the mobile phones, causing fear among tourists and pilgrims and raising a a big question mark on security.A number of incidents involving terrorists had taken place on the highway in recent years. The strong mobile signal strength on this side of the border could help Pakistani terrorists in their operations. Despite repeated attempts, the Defence Ministry did not respond on the issue.A technical expert of a telecom operator in Jammu told The Tribune on the condition of anonymity that no one was allowed to install a tower or radiation equipment within a radius of 10 km from the border on the Indian side.
Army Day 2016: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh on Friday said the Indian Army is ready to face any challenges and is among the world’s most professional forces.
“Our response to natural disasters has been efficient, the world has also praised our efforts during the Nepal quake. We are ready to face challenges and are more than capable of overcoming them. Our biggest strength are our soldiers, we are counted among the most professional forces in the world,” General Singh said on the occasion of the 68th Army Day.
General Singh also said that good coordination between all three services (Army, Navy, Air Force) is the most crucial aspect to overcome any challenges.
“We will soon establish a veteran wing at Base Hospital, where the veterans will be exclusively treated. Modernization of our weapons is very important,” he added.
Army Day is annually celebrated on January 15. It marks the day in 1949 when Lt.Gen. K.M. Cariappa took over as the first commander-in-chief of the Indian Army from the last British commander-in-chief.
Honouring the indomitable valour and extreme courage of the armed forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the forces on the occasion of Army Day.
“Saluting the indomitable valour, determination and dedication of our Army on Army Day,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
General Dalbir Singh, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Robin Dhowan and Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha paid homage to martyrs by laying wreaths at the Amar Jawan Jyoti.
Army Day is a day when the nation salutes the sacrifices and contributions as also the martyrdom of its valiant soldiers.
India has sought from the US 100 latest unmanned aerial vehicles, both armed and surveillance versions, worth USD 2 billion to bolster its arsenal amid recurring incursions by Chinese troops.
Industry sources familiar with New Delhi’s interest and ongoing talks between the two governments, said India had requested for the latest Avenger drones, which is basically an unmanned combat air vehicle, and is mainly being sought with an eye on China.
It has also sought Predator XP category which is a surveillance version for internal security issues and terrorist threats.
According to industry sources, India is looking for about 100 drones worth USD 2 billion.
However, while talks in this regard have accelerated in the past few months, the US has not made any formal commitment or given a public indication pending India’s application to joining Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Italy, which is upset with New Delhi’s treatment of its marines, appears to have currently blocked India becoming a member of MTCR.
However, both Indian and US officials are confident that they would be able to get through the last hurdle in the next few months, thus making them possible to take the defence trade – which would include armed drones – to the next level.
“Yes, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is aware of India’s interest in Predator-series Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA),” Vivek Lall, chief executive of the US and International Strategic Development of General Atomics told PTI.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems produces Predator series of remotely piloted aircraft.
“Due to US export laws, the US government has to approve the export of a Predator-series RPA to the Indian government. GA-ASI remains very encouraged by the recent India-US bilateral engagements at the highest levels and we are hopeful that we can play an important supporting role in these discussions,” he said.
“Predator-series RPA could provide a world-class Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for India which would include both high-definition radar and Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) coverage along India’s borders,” Lall said in response to a question.
Additionally, the RPA can perform humanitarian aid/disaster relief surveillance over both land and sea, said Lall, who had previously played a key role in US sale of high tech military assets to India during his stint at Boeing.
– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/with-eye-on-china-india-seeks-100-armed-drones-worth-2-billion-from-us/?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=inshorts_full_article&utm_campaign=inshorts_full_article#sthash.K7FUQuuz.dpuf
TIBRI (GURDASPUR): With some migrant labourers complaining to the Tibber police that they were thrashed by two suspected Pakistani militants in sugarcane fields of Bahia village opposite Tibri Military Station on Saturday, security agencies launched a search operation for the terrorists in Mann, Chopra, Tibri, Shorhian Bangar and Kotli Sainian villages on Sunday.
HT FILESecurity forces have been searching for two suspected terrorists at Tibri and other villages near the military station since Saturday.
Sleuths of Punjab Police, the army, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Israel-trained SWAT (Special Weapons Attack Team) have been pressed into service for the joint search operation.
Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police Gurpreet Singh Toor confirmed that a search operation had been launched, but refused to share details on the plea that this could hamper the search.
He added that Tibri Military Station, 5km from Gurdaspur city, on the Gurdaspur-Mukerian Road, could be a possible target.
After a similar search at Pandher village search was called off on Wednesday, there have at least two instances where villagers claim to have seen the two terrorists.
On Friday, Lavpreet Singh (22), a resident of Tibri village, had claimed that he was stopped by two Pakistani terrorists. Unconfirmed reports of terrorists hiding in the fields of Virk-Talwandi village had also been reported at the Tibber police station.
PATHANKOT: The Border Security Force has increased surveillance in the Bamiyal sector along the Pakistan border in Punjab, believed to be a transit point for smugglers, drug traffickers and terrorists because of stretches of “gaping holes” in the heavilyguarded boundary.
HT FILEThe BSF has sprung into action and erected more barbed wires and surveillance equipment such as high-beam lights along the border.
Pakistan-based terrorists reportedly sneaked through this porous border to lay siege on the Pathankot air base recently, as did their comrades to attack Dinanagar police station some months ago.
The BSF came under severe criticism for the “gaps” in the border fence.
The complex geography and topography of the area — compounded by a fast-running Ravi river and swampland of tall grasses on its banks — make it difficult to build a continuous fence of barbed wires along the border.
About 750 metres of land were without a fence at many points because of the river terrain.
The BSF spokesperson said senior officers were camping at the frontier village of Bamiyal since the Pathankot attack and overseeing work to strengthen the surveillance system.
BSF special director-general MK Singla was reportedly visiting areas where the border has remained porous. He was said to be leading a team of BSF officers to fortify vulnerable points with modern equipment.
To plug the gaps, the paramilitary force has installed highbeam lights and other equipment to detect movements.
The spokesperson said the BSF has added at least six more companies and a process was initiated to deploy 800 more personnel to guard the area. “We have placed more barbed wires, modern surveillance equipment and more boats to tackle the fast current of the Ravi,” he said.
THERE have been rough patches in the functioning of parliamentary democracy in India — the roughest was of course the Emergency of the seventies — but seldom has the functioning of the two Houses been held hostage to serve partisan party purpose quite in the manner we are witnessing. Besides, the level of public discourse has reached a new low.There was the infamous boast of Ms Sushma Swaraj, then in the Opposition, before the beginning of a session that she would not let Parliament function for a day until her demands were met. And she proved true to her word. That benchmark has not been breached but the sorry spectacle of the Congress, seeking to emulate Ms Swaraj has presented an unedifying spectacle. The Indian political world is out of joint. With all its imperfections, democracy has been functioning and a central part of the system has been Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his avatar as chief minister of Gujarat succeeded in marginalising the state Assembly in achieving his goals, but this method cannot be replicated at the national level. Indeed, we have reached the point when blaming one party or the other will not lead us anywhere. Rather, the need of the hour is to evolve a new consensus among all parties that disrupting Assembly or parliamentary proceedings is taboo. And civilised political discourse must have limits. The terminology employed by the Delhi Chief Minister, Mr Arvind Kejriwal, in scoring points against Prime Minister Modi was reprehensible. What has led to this sudden explosion of invectives and tempestuous parliamentary proceedings that mocks the Westminster model we have borrowed. Nobody expected the Indian system to work quite like the British model. But Jawaharlal Nehru and his colleagues, many of them Western-educated and -influenced, did try to maintain a measure of decorum. The homegrown lot who followed the first generation of rulers did not hold legislatures in similar reverence. A second reason for the turmoil and high-pitched verbal battles is the change of government in New Delhi. Mr Modi is a combative leader and does not follow the rules of the game. As Prime Minister, he has been the principal campaigner for his Bharatiya Janata Party in state Assembly elections, injecting bitter personal attacks on his political opponents to create a confrontational atmosphere. The shrillness of the debate is also due to the travails of the Congress, a party whose perennially-in-waiting leader Rahul Gandhi has proved unequal to his task. With Ms Sonia Gandhi still seeking to groom her son for leadership, the party is, in a sense, leaderless. There is no short-term prospect of a solution to the prevailing crisis because there is no overarching leader in the shape of a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jayaprakash Narayan who can knock heads together. The intelligentsia or the middle class is too feeble to call squabbling parties and leaders to order. Logically, the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the country, should take the lead in calling for a reversion to more civilised norms of public debate and functioning of Parliament. But he himself is a combatant and his public persona does not lend itself to a meaningful mediator’s role. Who then will bell the cat? Willy-nilly the intelligentsia must give the lead, despite its weaknesses. Indeed, the only solution is to help create a mass movement that will compel our legislators to earn their keep and perform the tasks they were elected for. There must be financial penalties for disturbing parliamentary and Assembly proceedings and citizens’ committees to police legislative proceedings. We could have the equivalent of lok adalats to assess individual and collective performance. If this portends direct democracy, so be it. We must treat the prevailing crisis as a national emergency. It is fashionable to make light of the squabbles and name-calling in the functioning of our legislatures but their consequences can be deadly. It is true that many members of the middle class are more comfortable in holding armchair discussions than in leading a movement, but they must now rise to the occasion to lend their resources and skills to reform the political class. Television has a special role to play in this campaign because of its reach and the nature of the beast. It is inherent in the medium to highlight squabbles and confrontations, which take up a disproportion amount of space. Yet as responsible members of society, TV bosses must annotate their visuals with meaningful discussions and commentaries condemning the misdemeanours of all parties. Writers made themselves heard recently by returning their awards as marks of protest against growing intolerance in the country. They have an even more important role to perform in highlighting the back-breaking cost of non-functioning legislatures and Parliament to the public exchequer. Legislators are not doing a favour by performing the tasks they were elected for. All politicians must also recognise that name-calling and use of vulgar language redound to their discredit. They do no credit to him and her and the political party he or she belongs to. In recent times, the level and frequency of invectives are becoming something of an epidemic. If Mr Kejriwal calls himself an anarchist, he has no place as the leader of a party in the legislature or the chief minister of a state. Anarchy and parliamentary democracy do not go together. If his self-description was more in the nature of a populist slogan, he should be more careful in expressing his feelings and refrain from crossing the red line in abusing the Prime Minister.Have we reached the end of the road? That remains to be seen but the dangers of the path our politicians are employing are growing by leaps and bounds. After all, the distinction between democracy and anarchy is the distinction between political discourse and the lathi (force). This vital distinction has been blurred. It is therefore the duty of the middle class and all thinking men and women to show our politicians the way.
Washington, January 8
The US has pressed Pakistan to conduct a “thorough, fair and transparent” probe into the deadly terror attack on the IAF base in Pathankot and wants to see the outcome of the investigation.”We certainly look forward to and expect a thorough, complete, fair and transparent investigative process. We are going to have to let it work through,” State Department spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday.”We look forward to seeing the results of their investigation. We would all like them to be done as quickly as possible and transparently discussed when it’s complete. But this is for the government of Pakistan to sort out how long this investigation is going to take,” Kirby said.”They (Pakistan) said they’re going to investigate it. They said they’re not going to discriminate between terrorist groups when they conduct counter-terrorism operations,” the official said.He acknowledged that the US has reached out to Pakistan after the Pathankot terror attack.”It’s more important to us, as it is in our own investigative issues here in the United States, that it be a good, solid, thoughtful and comprehensive investigation, not that it be done by a certain timeline,” he said.Six terrorists, who had sneaked into the country from Indo-Pak border in Pakistan, had attacked Indian Air Force base in Pathankot during the intervening night of January 1 and 2.All the terrorist were killed during a counter-operation by Indian forces that lasted for about three days in which seven security personnel were killed.The US said it encourages an “aggressive” approach to counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan and other regional powers, Kirby said, and expressed willingness to support such operations as required or deemed fit by those nations.Meanwhile, the Pentagon has said communication between India and Pakistan is a “hopeful sign” that the two countries will be able to resolve their concerns bilaterally despite the terror attack in Pathankot.”The communication (between India and Pakistan) is a hopeful sign that they will be able to address these concerns, but I’ll leave it to the governments of Pakistan and India to respond to this particular situation,” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said while responding to questions about the cross-border terror attack.”This is a situation between India and Pakistan, and we encourage their continued communication and efforts to address these issues,” he said yesterday.Cook also said the US has a very good defence and military-to-military relationship with India. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had hosted Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at the Pentagon last month. —PTI
