Terrorists hiding near Pathankot: Rijiju downplays speculations

With the parliamentary panel cautioning the Centre of another terrorist strike at the Pathankot airbase, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that it would not be appropriate to comment on speculative matters.

"To estimate and comment on this matter won't be right. There can be a possibility of it, but it would not be appropriate for me being a minister to comment on the same," Rijiju told ANI.

According to reports, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which was recently in Jammu and Kashmir to review security measures at the border areas, has informed the government of the possibilities of terrorists hiding in the nearby villages.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs said the government has been informed about it and security of the strategically important facility beefed up.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee also said the government has asked the CRPF, BSF to be more alert and the Army has handed over the security of the airbase to them.

The committee said it was satisfied with the measures being taken by the BSF to check infiltration, but advocated providing fully modern equipment to the force.

A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan had visited India between March 27 and 31 to collect evidence with regard to the attack.