NewDelhi: India is mulling its options on whether to go ahead with foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan scheduled for later this month after militants attacked an Indian Air Force (IAF) base over the weekend, a government official said on Monday.
A final decision on the talks, scheduled for January 15, is expected to be taken after security forces have completed their operation at the Pathankot air base, near the Pakistan border, the source said, requesting anonymity.
The move comes after a brazen militant attack on the Pathankot air base, a sprawling compound that lies 25km from the border with Pakistan, on January 2.
The attack, a rare targeting of an Indian military installation outside the disputed region of Kashmir, threatens to undermine a tentative thaw in relations with Pakistan.
A fresh gun battle commenced on January 3 and fresh firing was reported on today (Monday). Pakistan strongly condemned the attack.
Officials said the attack bore the hallmarks of previous suspected assaults by Pakistan-based militant groups, underscoring the fragility of recent efforts to revive bilateral talks between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
