India says Pakistan hiding information by blocking access to bombing site

[March 09, 2019]    NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India said on Saturday Pakistan had "plenty to hide" by preventing journalists from accessing the site of an air strike by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan.

A general view of the damaged trees, after Indian military aircrafts struck on February 26, according to Pakistani officials, in Jaba village, near Balakot, Pakistan, March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Citing "security concerns", Pakistani security officials on Thursday barred a Reuters team from climbing a hill in northeastern Pakistan to the site of a madrasa, or religious school, and a group of surrounding buildings that was targeted by Indian warplanes last week.

"The fact that Pakistan has now refused access to journalists from visiting the site means that they have plenty to hide," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters.

He reiterated the government's stand that India's air strikes were "successful and achieved the desired objectives", after being asked about a Reuters report that said high-resolution satellite images reviewed by Reuters showed that the madrasa appeared to be still standing.

(Reporting by C.K. Nayak; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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