Three ‘suspects’ spotted near P’kot Air Force station

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, April 19

The police carried out an extensive search of colonies adjoining the Air Force station after two residents claimed that they had spotted three men, one carrying a backpack, loitering nearby in suspicious circumstances on Wednesday night.

The SSP, Vivek Sheel Soni, who was carrying out a search operation in Bamial, near the international border, arrived at the airbase within minutes and ordered a comprehensive search. Staff from the Police Lines was requisitioned and all senior officers of the district were given specific areas to be combed.

For the past few days, ever since a carjacking incident was reported from Bamial, the police have been on an overdrive. The SSP took into confidence the Army and the Air Force officials before starting the operations.

The IG (Border), Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, said the standard operating procedure (SOP) was put in place when they received information about the suspicious movement, reported to the police by locals Rajinder Kumar and Darshan Singh. Post Dinanagar and Pathankot terror attacks, the police had devised an SOP to deal with such eventualities.

The residents had claimed sighting the “suspicious” men on the road leading to the rear of the airbase.

A dog squad was also pressed into service.