Gunmen attack Indian air base near Pakistan border; 2 killed

NEW DELHI — Gunmen attacked a northern Indian air force base near the border with Pakistan and were exchanging fire with security forces on Saturday morning, officials said.

At least two of the attackers were killed at the Pathankot air force base, about 430 kilometers (267 miles) north of New Delhi, said India's Defense Ministry spokesman Nitin Wakankar.

He said that the gunbattle was still ongoing.

Pathankot is on the highway that connects India's insurgency wracked Jammu and Kashmir state with the rest of the country. It's also very close to India's border with rival Pakistan.

NDTV news station reported that the attack began at 3:30 a.m. when the gunmen entered the air base.

Saturday's attack comes just a week after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unannounced visit to Pakistan to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.