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Sri Lankan Air Force personnel moved from Tamil Nadu after strong protests

The Indian Defence Ministry has announced it will move members of the Sri Lankan Air Force from Tambaram air base in Tamil Nadu.

A day after strong condemnation from all major parties in Tamil Nadu, the Ministry of Defense released a statement saying the personnel will be moved.

"All Sri Lankan trainees are being sent off today from this Station as per instruction of the Ministry of Defence," said the statement.

The Sri Lankan government dismissed reports that the airmen were being sent back to Sri Lanka.

"Reports about a group of Sri Lankan Airmen under training in Chennai being sent back to Sri Lanka is incorrect. They will continue their training in another location in India without any hindrance to their training programme," the External Affairs Ministry said.

NDTV reported earlier today that the military personnel were being shifted to Bangalore under ‘huge political pressure’.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha condemned the training of Sri Lankan Air Force personnel in Tambaram, saying it is an “insult to Tamil people”

Last year a training programme for 25 Sri Lankan soldiers near Ooty in Tamil Nadu was cancelled following political pressure.

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