The Army has deployed 3,000 soldiers along the national highway in South Kashmir to ensure security of pilgrims during the 45-day long Amarnath Yatra which began on Thursday.
The Army deployment is to allow incident-free movement of vehicles on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway to the base camps in Pahalgam and Ganderbal in Kashmir.
A total of 30,000 security personnel have been deployed for the yatra this year, an increase of 15 per cent compared to last year. Security measures have been beefed up in view of the increased militant attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
The yatra was flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh from Yatris Niwas in Jammu. The first batch of pilgrims from various parts of the country, comprising 2,280 people, including 1,811 men, 422 women and 47 sadhus, left for twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal, an official spokesman said. The yatra began amidst chants of Har Har Mahadev and Bam Bam Bhole, the official added.
Singh assured the yatris that elaborate security and logistic arrangements have been put in place by the government to ensure peaceful conduct of the pilgrimage. He said all facilities will be provided to the pilgrims for their comfortable stay.
As many as 200 additional companies (2,000 troops) of CRPF, BSF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) have reached Kashmir for the yatra duty.
"We have brought in five battalions. Two will remain deployed in South Kashmir while three would guard the highway,” general officer commanding (GoC) of 15 Corps, Lt General J.S. Sandhu told reporters.
Sandhu said two battalions of Army deployed in South Kashmir districts will deal with the law and order problems, if any, during the yatra period. Noting that the primary concern of security personnel is
the highway which has been witnessing frequent attacks by militants, he said the “3,000 men deployed on the highway stretch will also ensure night area domination.”
The GoC agreed that an increased number of soldiers have been deployed to guard the stretch of highway between Pantha Chowk to Pahalgam on one side and Ganderbal to Baltal base camp in Sonmarg on the other. “Yes, and reason is the spurt in the militant attacks on force," he said.
Meanwhile, security forces on Thursday averted a tragedy by detecting and defusing two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Dangerpora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Weighing five kg, the IEDs, according to a police, were planted near Circular Road.
