At least two gunmen and a guard were killed in an attack on an Indian Air Force base on Saturday near the border with Pakistan, officials said, noting that it is in an apparent challenge to attempts to revive a dialogue between the nuclear-armed neighbors, Al Arabiya reported.

Indian defense ministry sources said four gunmen, believed to be from Pakistan, had entered the Pathankot airbase in India’s northwestern state of Punjab overnight. Two were confirmed killed in the ensuing shootout, along with the guard.

The attack came a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an impromptu visit to Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, in a bid to revive bilateral talks that had previously been derailed by militant attacks.

Border police chief Vijay Singh said the operation to eliminate the gunmen had lasted three hours. The airbase was being combed to determine the fate of the remaining attackers.

Source: MENA