On Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued an advisory asking pilgrims and tourists participating in the Amarnath Yatra to take necessary measures to curtail their stay and make arrangements to return as soon as possible.
On Friday, the J&K government issued an advisory asking tourists and pilgrims to curtail their pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine after sniper guns and Pakistani-made claymore landmine was found on the yatra route.
The advisory from the J&K govt asked pilgrims to leave the state immediately. The claymore mine, made in a Pakistan ordinance factory, was recovered from Sheshnag in Kashmir along the route.
"Keeping in view the latest intelligence inputs of terror threats, with specific targeting of the Amarnath Yatra, and given the prevailing security situation in the Kashmir Valley, in the interest of safety and security of the tourists and Amarnath Yatris, it is advised that they may curtail their stay in the valley immediately and take necessary measures to return as soon as possible," the state government said in a security advisory.
Earlier, Zee Media had received inputs that five highly-trained Jaish terrorists had infiltrated the Valley last week from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah wrote; “Seriously? You think an official order telling tourists to leave immediately will not cause them to run from the valley as fast as they can? Which tourist will hang around after seeing this order. The airport & highway will be choked with people leaving.”
BJP’s J&K President Ravinder Raina meanwhile said: “Amarnath Yatra will continue till August 15 as per schedule. Strong security measures have already been taken & there is no atmosphere of fear. All yatris can visit the holy shrine but advisory issued by the home department should be followed.”
The Indian Army on Friday said that they got confirmed intelligence inputs that terrorists from Pakistan were planning to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra by carrying out attacks.
"In the last three to four days, we got confirmed intel reports that terrorists are trying to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra. A thorough search was carried out on the routes by a combined team of Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police," Chinar Corps Commander Lt General KJS Dhillon said in a joint press conference along with Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir Dilbag Singh, CRPF Additional Director General Zulfiqar Hasan, IGP Kashmir SP Pani and others.
"We had achieved major successes. An M-24 American sniper rifle with a telescope and a landmine with Pakistan ordnance factory markings have been recovered. The route of the Amarnath Yatra was sanitised for three days," he said.
Dhillon said that security forces conducted an in-depth analysis in the Kashmir Valley and found out that 83 per cent of local people who picked up weapons had a record of stone-pelting.
In an appeal to the mothers of Kashmiri youth, the Chinar Corps Commander said: "If today your child throws stones at security forces for Rs 500, then he will become a terrorist tomorrow."
"In 2019, 7 per cent of terrorists have been killed within 10 days of joining (militancy). 64 per cent of terrorists who pick up a weapon is eliminated within the first year. So, I request parents to stop your child from doing stone-pelting, as chances are there that he would be eliminated within the first year of picking up his weapon," Dhillon underlined.
He said that security arrangements are in place for Independence Day celebrations, noting that they will be carried out in full gusto and normal fervour.
Echoing similar sentiments, Hasan said that attempts to disrupt Amarnath Yatra were unsuccessful due to the hard work of the security forces.
"Amarnath Yatra has seen an unprecedented turnout and in spite of many threats it has been peaceful. There have been serious attempts to disrupt the yatra but were unsuccessful due to hard work of security personnel, use of technology and cooperation of people," Hasan, the CRPF Additional Director General, said.
J&K DGP Singh said that the overall number of active terrorists in the Valley and in the Jammu region has come down.
Asked about the increase in troop numbers in the state, Singh said: "We had been into a number of activities since last few months. Our troops that have been deployed did not get a chance to relax for a while."
"We are getting inputs that violence levels are likely to be increased by terrorists. So, we have tried to strengthen the grid on ground. Also, we have been told that troops must get time to relax. This is the time for turnover. But the grid will be in as much active form as required.
Meanwhile, IGP Kashmir Pani said that more than 10 terror attack attempts were made at different places in the Valley.
"In these IED modules, several terrorists like Munna Lahori before that Kamran, Usman were arrested," he said.
With inputs from agencies
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