2 lakh pilgrims register; First batch of 1500 Amarnath yatries today
By News Agency of Kashmir,
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir police and army is on toes ahead of commencement of annual Amarnath yatra as continuous wireless communication by militants being intercepted by army and intelligence agencies around Jammu city has pressed panic button giving indication that a group of militants has intruded to this side and is hiding somewhere in Domana area.
Official sources told News Agency of Kashmir that the police, army and BSF has been beating the bushes in Domana area, in the outskirts of Jammu, to trace the hiding militants, who possibility plan to strike on the even of annual Amarnath pilgrimage, commencing Wednesday.
More than three search operations have been launched in the area to trace the militants but nothing concrete was achieved, sources told News Agency of Kashmir on the condition of anonymity. They said that army and police launched a fresh operation, late on Sunday night but troops returned empty handed, this morning.
If the sources have to be believed intelligence agencies and army has intercepted some wireless communication indicating that the militants were hiding somewhere in the outskirts of Jammu city and were planning to strike in coming few days.
However, officials termed the search operations as a routine area domination exercise ahead of Yatra. “We are just sanitizing the area so as to avoid any possible threat”, a police officer told NAK adding that police, army and CRPF has been fanned out in Jammu and its suburbs to ensure incident free pilgrimage.
In the meanwhile, security has been tightened in the city areas, where police has erected special naka points and every passing vehicle was being searched.
Meanwhile, sources said that over two lakh yatries have so far registered themselves for the annual pilgrimage, for which the maximum quota of the year has been kept around 2.8 lakh.
Sources said that at least 161,000 yatries have been registered themselves with various branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank across the country, while another 20,000 pilgrims have registered online.
Security arrangements have also been intensified at and around the newly construct Yatri Bahawan, which will be used as base camp for the yatra, sources said. Heavy deployment of police and CRPF was made at the Bhawan, which was inaugurated today.
Sources said that through the annual pilgrimage will officially commence from Wednesday, first batch of around 1500 to 1800 pilgrims will leave for the cave shrine early on Tuesday from the Jammu base camp in the shadow of a three-tier security that will see deployment of over 6,000 CRPF men.
“The pilgrims will leave for the holy cave shrine in the Himalayan range of south Kahsmir tomorrow escorted by CRPF personnel from here,” official sources told media.
Buses, trucks and light motor vehicles carrying the pilgrims will leave around 5 am and the CRPF will provide security from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal camps, the sources said.
The actual yatra will begin from June 18 when the first batch will perform darshan at the holy cave shrine.
As many as 4000 pilgrims have arrived and they have been housed in an Amarnath Yatra camp in Bhagwati Nagar area of the city. Over 300 Sadhus have also arrived in Jammu for their onward journey to the cave shrine.