Keeping in mind the last year’s deadly militant attack on pilgrims and the current fragile situation in mind, nearly 3,000 additional Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and policemen are being deployed in the Kashmir region this year to ensure a peaceful Amarnath yatra beginning on June 28
“With the additional 41 companies this year nearly 20,000 CAPF and policemen will be securing the annual yatra in Kashmir,” a senior security official said.
While the CRPF performs a major role in the conduct of the yatra, the Army will sanitise the upper reaches en route the cave shrine.
According to a security official, the highest number of deployment will be made in Anantnag district in south Kashmir followed by Ganderbal district in central Kashmir. Last year on July 10, a bus carrying Amarnath yatris was attacked by suspected militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Anantnag district, killing eight pilgrims and injuring 19 others.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is also looking into various other aspects of the security set-up during the nearly two-month long pilgrimage to the cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva in the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.
According to the estimates of various security agencies, there are about 200 active militants in the Kashmir valley and recent trends show that militants are getting more brazen in their attacks. A total of 2.60 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine last year.
Amarnath shrine is situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley.
A senior CRPF official said some more measures, which cannot be disclosed, have been taken for the safety of yatris.
He said now Amarnath yatra vehicles won’t be allowed to travel on Srinagar-Jammu national highway after 7 pm.
They will have to travel on highway during the day when the ROPs are deployed and security personnel conduct patrolling and area domination, he said.
The official said if they discover some yatris travelling in the night, they will stop them and send them back.
“The yatri vehicles would not be allowed to operate on the highway after 7 pm,” he said.
Situated in a narrow gorge at the end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine stands at 3,888 metres, 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal in Jammu and Kashmir.
“With the additional 41 companies this year nearly 20,000 CAPF and policemen will be securing the annual yatra in Kashmir,” a senior security official said.
While the CRPF performs a major role in the conduct of the yatra, the Army will sanitise the upper reaches en route the cave shrine.
According to a security official, the highest number of deployment will be made in Anantnag district in south Kashmir followed by Ganderbal district in central Kashmir. Last year on July 10, a bus carrying Amarnath yatris was attacked by suspected militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Anantnag district, killing eight pilgrims and injuring 19 others.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is also looking into various other aspects of the security set-up during the nearly two-month long pilgrimage to the cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva in the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.
According to the estimates of various security agencies, there are about 200 active militants in the Kashmir valley and recent trends show that militants are getting more brazen in their attacks. A total of 2.60 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine last year.
Amarnath shrine is situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley.
A senior CRPF official said some more measures, which cannot be disclosed, have been taken for the safety of yatris.
He said now Amarnath yatra vehicles won’t be allowed to travel on Srinagar-Jammu national highway after 7 pm.
They will have to travel on highway during the day when the ROPs are deployed and security personnel conduct patrolling and area domination, he said.
The official said if they discover some yatris travelling in the night, they will stop them and send them back.
“The yatri vehicles would not be allowed to operate on the highway after 7 pm,” he said.
Situated in a narrow gorge at the end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine stands at 3,888 metres, 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal in Jammu and Kashmir.
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