Something wrong in security setup: MPs

The MHA has warned that the possibility of terrorists, assisted by the Pakistan Rangers, targeting Indian security personnel in border areas, as in the past cutting off their heads, could not be ruled out.

The parliamentary standing committee on home launched a scathing attacking on the ministry, questioning its level of preparedness on terror attacks. The committee said that despite concrete and credible intelligence inputs, security agencies were so ill-prepared to anticipate threats in time and counter them swiftly. “Terrorists managed to breach a high-security airbase and could launch an attack despite an advance alert. Something is seriously wrong with the country’s counter-terror security establishment,” it said.

While referring to the Pathankot incident the panel said the role of the Punjab police was very “questionable and suspicious” during the January 2 attack. It said it failed to understand that in spite of terror alert sounded well in advance, how the terrorists managed to breach the high-security airbase and subsequently carried out the strike. The committee said it was constrained to note that despite concrete and credible intelligence inputs from abducted SP of Pathankot and his friend and through interception of communications between terrorists and their handlers by the terrorists saying they were planning an attack on a defence establishment, the security agencies were so ill-prepared to anticipate threats in time and counter them swiftly and decisively.

During its visit to the airbase, the committee found the security cover was not robust and it had a poorly guarded perimeter wall. The panel also noted there were no roads around the perimeter wall of the airbase and there was growth of long shrubs and trees, that may have helped the terrorists in hiding, making it difficult for the forces to flush them out. The panel said it was clear that the attack was carried out by Pakistani terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, and this was also established by interception of calls between terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan.