Amarnath Yatris told to leave J&K ASAP amid serious security concerns
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday issued an advisory asking the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims to "curtail" their stay in the valley immediately and return as soon as possible.
The government cited intelligence inputs of terror threats to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.
"Keeping in view the latest intelligence inputs of terror threats, with specific targeting of the Amarnath yatra, and given the prevailing security situation in the Kashmir Valley, in the interest of safety and security of the tourists and Amarnath yatris, it is advised that they may curtail their stay in the valley immediately and take necessary measures to return as soon as possible," the advisory said.
The annual yatra, which began on July 1, is to end on August 15.
The authorities have already rushed thousands of additional paramilitary forces to Kashmir in the wake of intelligence inputs that the yatra could be targetted by the terrorists.
Amarnath Yatris told to leave J&K ASAP amid serious security concerns
The Army said the security forces have recovered a Pakistan-made mine and a huge cache of arms from along the Amarnath Yatra route.
Searches were launched along the pilgrimage route after specific intelligence that Pakistan-based terrorists might target the Yatra using improvised explosive devices and attack pilgrims, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon said in a joint briefing by security forces.
The forces launched a massive operation along the Amarnath Yatra route, during which a huge a cache of arms was recovered and it included a mine with a Pakistan Ordnance Factory stamp and an American sniper rifle M-24, he said.
The Army said there were intelligence inputs that Pakistan-backed terrorists were planning a major strike, targeting the pilgrimage.
Dhillon also refused to give the exact location from where the recovery was made as the search operation was still going on.
He said the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Jammu and Kashmir is more "pronounced" in the hinterland even as the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) remains "largely peaceful". Regular infiltration attempts are being made by Pakistan-based terrorists but the Army is thwarting their bids at the LoC, he said.
Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said security personnel were on regular duty during the year because of elections, among others, with no time to relax. He said there were also "fresh inputs of increase in violence by terrorists" which made it necessary to "strengthen the counter intelligence grid" on the ground.
Refusing to give the exact number of additional troops being sent to the Valley, Singh said they would give on-ground troops some time to relax and strengthen the security system.
