New Delhi: In a major development, security forces have foiled a terror attack planned by militants to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra.
Sources said that four heavily armed terrorists were waiting just 12 km away from the spot they had planned to target. They said that militants had planned to open indiscriminate firing on buses carrying pilgrims to Pahalgam.
Sources said that the Intelligence Bureau, based on concrete inputs, alerted security forces 10 minutes just before the possible attack on July 10.
Around 8,000 pilgrims were stranded in Anantnag due to violent protests in the Valley over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. It was decided that on July 11 at 7am, buses carrying the pilgrims will move towards Pahalgam.
Around 72 buses filled with pilgrims were ready to move from Anantnag to Pahalgam on July 10 morning, but IB shared inputs with security agencies and local administration at around 6:50 am that four heavily armed militants were waiting to attack the buses of pilgrims.
Immediately instructions were issued that the movement of buses should be kept on hold and the IB intercepted their (terrorists) location. It was decided to launch an operation to kill all the militants but later it was decided to wait and watch as situation of Valley was already tensed. Also the movement of forces was riskier.
Terrorists waited for at least four hours at the spot and later moved from there.
It was around 10:30 am, when additional security forces were called on and IB gave green signal to move the pilgrims buses.
Meanwhile, an investigation is underway to know how the plan to move the buses was leaked to the terrorists.
Infiltration has already happened in recent days in several parts of the Valley. The movement of unknown gunmen is being shared almost on a daily basis with security forces.
Sources said that terrorists are trying to strengthen their hold on key strategic locations that are close to the Amarnath Yatra route.
The Amarnath Yatra remained suspended for two days because of law and order situation in the Valley, triggered by the clashes between security forces and agitating demonstrators after Wani was killed on Friday evening.
All the pilgrims who have already reached the Valley were safe and performing the yatra. An official of Shri Amarnath ji Shrine Board (SASB) which manages the annual pilgrimage has said that so far over 1,35,000 pilgrims have already had 'darashan' of the ice formation inside the cave shrine devoted to Lord Shiva.
