The threat posted by 'sticky bombs' to the successful conduct of the Amarnath yatra this year is keeping the entire security grid on its tenterhooks in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a span of last 10 days the Jammu and Kashmir police has recovered two fresh consignments of these magnetic bombs attached with the drones flown from across the border with Pakistan to smuggle them for executing the terror plot of disrupting the yatra starting from June 30.
Central intelligence agencies have already issued an advisory to the security forces to remain alert and sensitize the jawans deployed on yatra duty to prevent aerial attacks with the help of drones.
According to the Additional Director General of Police, Mukesh Singh, "three magnetic IEDs packed in tiffin boxes were recovered from the border belt of Kanachak in Jammu late Monday night". These magnetic IEDs were attached with the drone spotted in the area. The payload was brought down leading to recovery of these sticky bombs.
In a written statement, ADGP Mukesh Singh said, "Yesterday night BSF observed a drone activity in the Kanachak area and fired some shots towards the drone. Immediately a police party was deployed and they followed the anti drone SOP in the general area. At around 11 pm at Dayaran area of Kanachak, a police party observed the drone activity and fired at it again. The payload attached with the drone was brought down. However the drone could not be brought down". Singh said, "the payload contained three magnetic IEDs packed inside a tiffin box with a timer set to different timings of 3 hours , 8 hours etc. The IED has been deactivated and diffused through controlled explosion. A case has been registered"
Earlier on May 29, seven magnetic bombs and an equal number of UBGL (Under barrel grenade launcher) grenades were recovered from near Hariya Chak area of Rajbagh in Kathua district.
These sticky bombs were packed in a packet attached with the hexacopter which was brought down by the police team from Rajbagh police station.
In the recent high level security review meetings chaired by the senior army and CAPF officers along with top brass of the J&K police special emphasis was made on averting the threat posed by these sticky bombs. The security grid has already decided to properly sensitize the foot soldiers about the threats posed by these readymade IED's and how to detect them to prevent blasts.
The Jammu and Kashmir police along with CAPF are expected to launch an awareness drive for the common people and driver/cleaners to ensure they carry out frequent checks at different intervals to prevent such strikes.
The annual pilgrimage is set to start on June 30, 2022, and will conclude on August 11, 2022, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
This year's annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath is expected to attract 6-8 lakh pilgrims.
The Union Home Ministry has already given its nod to rush additional 350 companies of central para military forces for the exclusive yatra duty.Several companies of CAPF have already arrived and their deployment plans are being finalised for the 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, yatri niwas along the yatra route.