The Centre’s claim that the charred material found at the Pathankot airbase were definitely the remains of two unidentified terrorists has been refuted by forensic experts, reported The Indian Express. The reports of the tests conducted by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh only prove that there is male DNA in the remains, but do not indicate how many people the genetic material came from, experts told the English daily. The charred remains contained genetic material from multiple individuals, the experts added. The National Investigation Agency had ordered tests on the charred remains found at the Airmen’s Billet building in the airbase after failing to recover any weapons or explosives.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had told Parliament in March that the CFSL report, which isn’t public yet, “makes it clear” that the charred remains recovered from the Airmen’s Billet building were those of two terrorists killed by security forces. Four other terrorists were killed outside an abandoned scrapyard near the airbase. The government’s claims “are just preposterous”, according to Allan Jamieson, director of Forensic Institute, Glasgow. The CFSL report does not tell us “anything about the people other than their gender”, he added.