The Pathankot IAF facility, located about 40 kms away from the border with Pakistan, is the base of MiG-21 fighter planes and Mi-25 attack helicopters of Air Force.
In a statement issued nearly 15 hours after a group of heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists stormed the air base, leading to a fierce gun battle in which three security personnel were killed along with four attackers, the air force said they had intelligence that such an attack would take place.
IAF added that due to the effective preparation and coordinated efforts by all the security agencies a group of terrorists were detected by the aerial surveillance platforms as soon as they entered the Air Force Station at Pathankot.
"The infiltrators were immediately engaged and contained within a limited area, thus preventing them from entering the Technical zone where high value assets are parked.