In the wake of a sudden upswing in the terrorist violence across different districts of the Jammu region, the security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir are bracing for a bigger challenge of peaceful conduct of the 52-day-long Amarnath yatra starting June 29. This year's annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath is expected to attract over 5 lakh pilgrims.
In 2023, over 4.45 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance inside the cave shrine.Since the yatra is taking place in the shadow of 'audacious' terror strikes on pilgrims and security forces the entire focus is shifted to ensuring the safety and security of the pilgrims reaching here to offer special prayers.On June 9, the terrorists targeted a bus carrying Shiv Khori pilgrims killing nine persons and injuring 41 others while two encounters took place-one each at Hiranagar and Chattargalla in Bhaderwah on June 12. Two foreign terrorists were eliminated in the operation by the joint team of security forces while one CRPF jawan attained martyrdom during the encounter.
The fourth encounter started between security forces and terrorists at Kota Top, Gandoh in Doda district. Constable Fareed Ahmed of Special Operations Group (SOG) Gandoh was injured in the initial firefight.To ensure the safety of pilgrims along the entire yatra route including Jammu-Srinagar National Highway the Union Home Ministry has already given its nod to rush additional companies of the central paramilitary forces for the exclusive yatra duty.These security personnel would be deployed for area domination duties along the Yatra route, securing the outer ring of base camps at Baltal, Pahalgam, community halls, and Yatri niwas along the Yatra route.The shrine board is expected to provide boarding and lodging facilities to a rush of 10,000 pilgrims across three yatri niwas complexes of Jammu, Srinagar and Ramban during transit.To keep a hawk's eye on the movement of suspicious personnel in and around vital installations including Yatra base camps, transit accommodations, and community halls, the forces will be using drone cameras to maintain 24x7 vigil.CCTV cameras and other sophisticated electronic surveillance gadgets would remain in place to track down the footprints of miscreants in the area. In addition, sniffer dogs would remain deployed at base camps, and strategic yatra points to check unwarranted entry of suspected personnel along with explosives to execute a terror plot.
Senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir police along with top brass of the CAPF, Indian army are regularly holding security review meetings to fine-tune their ground strategy and improve coordination to ensure peaceful conduct of the yatra. Special emphasis is laid on ensuring foolproof security of camps, communication network, regulation of traffic management on the national highways and other roads, parking of vehicles, and deployment of forces on both the yatra routes of Pahalgam and Baltal, etc.
To ensure the safety of pilgrims undertaking the Yatra Special security checkpoints have been activated along the Yatra route. Quick reaction teams will be deployed near the Yatri base camps at different locations to ensure the safety of the pilgrims. The base camps and other vital transit points including refreshment counters, and resting places will be kept under close watch with the help of drone cameras to record any suspected movement of miscreants.
