A fifth gunman has been killed in a more than two-day long siege at an air base near India's border with Pakistan.

At least one attacker remains and operations to comb and secure the base continue.

Major General Dushyant Singh, from India's elite National Security Guard, told reporters that search operations at the Pathankot air force base will continue until all areas have been completely secured.

The attack at the Pathankot air base began early on Saturday morning and has dragged on as government troops struggle to contain the heavily armed attackers in the sprawling station.

At least twice over the weekend it appeared that the attack had ended but fresh gunfire and explosions erupted both times.