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The Ministry of Home Affairs has dismissed media reports suggesting that the air-transit facility for CRPF personnel on Jammu-Srinagar sector was not allowed, and termed them "untrue".
Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on February 14, Thursday, carried out the deadly suicide attack on the CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, claiming the lives of at least 40 CRPF jawans.
"Reports appeared in a section of media that air transit facility on Jammu-Srinagar sector for CRPF troops has not been allowed. These are untrue," the MHA statement read.
The ministry's clarification comes after reports suggested that the CRPF had requested air transit for the jawans to the MHA earlier this week, but the request was turned down.
"Over the last few years, MHA had significantly enhanced the air courier services for CAPFs in all sectors to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and back from home on leave," the ministry further clarified.
"In Jammu and Kashmir sector, Air Courier Service for transportation of jawans of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) are already in operation for quite some time. This included initially the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu Sector. Later, at the request of the CAPFs in December 2017, the services were extended to Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu-Delhi seven flights a week," the statement added.
It also stated that "movement of convoys by road for logistical and operational reasons has been and will continue to be necessary."
