Suspected extremist gunmen staged a pre-dawn attack on a key Indian air base near the Pakistan border Saturday with two militants killed in a shootout, officials said, striking a blow to the neighbors’ fragile peace process.

Suspected extremist gunmen staged a pre-dawn attack on a key Indian air base near the Pakistan border Saturday with two militants killed in a shootout, officials said, striking a blow to the neighbors’ fragile peace process.

At least four gunmen suspected to be from the Pakistan-based so-called “Jaish-e-Mohammed” extremist group dressed in army uniforms infiltrated Pathankot air base in northern Punjab state at around 3:30 am (2200 GMT), security officials said.

It comes one week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a surprise visit to Pakistan, the first by an Indian premier in 11 years and threatens to derail talks between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought three wars since independence in 1947.

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

Fresh gunfire was again heard at the base at around 0545 GMT as police combed the installation looking for militants still hiding out in buildings, television channels reported.

H. S. Dhillon, a senior provincial police official, told AFP earlier that the operation was still ongoing.

"We are searching the area. Two of the attackers were killed in the initial exchange of gunfire but we can't confirm if more have been killed," he said, in response to reports that four gunmen had been killed.

"Five to six security personnel were injured and they have been evacuated to hospital."