Was attack on Indian air base designed to sabotage peace talks with Pakistan?

In recent days, the historically icy relationship between India and Pakistan looked to be thawing, with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s surprise Christmas visit to his counterpart in Islamabad, Nawaz Sharif, and the string of cordial conversations between the two men. But the new year heralded a flare of militant violence on the Indian-Pakistan border, raising concerns about peace talks planned for later this month.

Early Saturday, a band of heavily armed militants attacked an Indian air base in Pathankot, Punjab, killing seven Indian officials and wounding at least 20 military personnel. As of Monday, five assailants were confirmed dead, with one gunmen still suspected to be on site. Government troops struggled to contain the attackers, and at least twice over the weekend, Indian victory claims were silenced by fresh gunfire and explosions.

Police say they cannot confirm whether the gunmen came from Kashmir or from Pakistan.

According to a recent Reuters report, the pro-Pakistan United Jihad Council (UJC) claimed responsibility for the air base attack: “The attack is a message by Mujahideen (militants) that no sensitive installation of India is out of our reach,” said UJC spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain.

Indian officials swiftly warned of reprisal.

“We want peace, but if terrorists carry out attacks on Indian soil, we will give them a befitting reply,” said Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Defense officials say Indian authorities were alerted about a potential attack in the Pathankot region on Friday, and that aerial surveillance at the base spotted the gunmen as they entered the compound, triggering criticism of the way the government handled the situation.

In contrast with India’s insurgency-plagued Kashmir state, Punjab has little history of militant violence. Some believe the gunmen targeted the Pathankot air base for its military hardware, which includes a fleet of Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jets and Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters. According to Indian officials, the attackers did not damage any military weaponry.

Situated on the highway that connects India’s Jammu and Kashmir states with the rest of the country, the sprawling airbase spans more than 2,000 acres. With homes and schools for the family of military personnel, the base essentially is a “mini-city,” according to Lieutenant Colonel J.S. Dhamoon. Indian officials estimate the air base has the largest military presence in the nation.

The siege almost immediately followed Modi’s Dec. 25 visit to Pakistan, and some view the attack as a possible attempt to unravel recent progress in relations between the long arch-rival nations.

“The moment that Modi touched down in Lahore (and probably even before), something like this was doomed to happen,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Washington-based Wilson Center. “At this point, there’s sufficient goodwill in India-Pakistan relations to weather this attack. Saboteurs won’t win this one.”

Responses to the attacks from both countries are muted so far, with neither New Delhi nor Islamabad giving any indication the planned peace talks are under threat.

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, the Himalayan region claimed by both nations. Border insurgency remains a major issue, and India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.