Security bolstered at key Amarnath Yatra points

NEw new delhi certificate forces, on with the Jammu and cashmere constabulary, have already sealed and secured the base camps, Yatri Niwas, and the starting points of the Amarnath Yatra, officials said, adding that due to the heightened alert following the Pahalgam attack, the locations were secured almost three weeks before the start of the Yatra, unlike previous years when the camps and locations were sealed only a week in advance.The Yatra from July 3 to August 9 is being held amid a high alert following Operation Sindoor and heightened security preparations in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack two months ago. The duration of the Yatra this year is shorter, 38 days in comparison to last year’s 52. In a bid to bolster security, the Union home ministry has sanctioned an additional 581 companies of paramilitary forces for the pilgrimage, which is the highest to date. Last year, the number was around 510. The 581 companies include all the central armed police forces.“On Wednesday, union home secretary Govind Mohan chaired a meeting with senior officers from all forces in Srinagar. All top officials of the army, paramilitary forces, J&K police, and administration were present in the meeting. It was decided that paramilitary forces and police will remain on guard even at night,” one official, who asked not to be named, said.During the weekend, CRPF’s top officials, including DG GP Singh were in Jammu and Kashmir to review the arrangements. The CRPF is the nodal force for all paramilitary forces involved in the security arrangements.A CRPF statement said that a high-level meeting was held in Srinagar by the CRPF, after which its top officials visited the cave, base camp, and other strategic locations along the pilgrimage route.Additionally, forces have also stepped up surveillance and secured the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu from where the pilgrims will start their journey to Kashmir via the National Highway. Last week, top Jammu and Kashmir police officials, including police chief Nalin Prabhat also visited the base camp, from where the first batch of pilgrims will move towards Kashmir on July 2.The Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board on June 17 announced that vide a government order, all routes of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra—including both the Pahalgam and Baltal axes— have been declared as a ‘No Flying Zone’ from July 1 to August 10, 2025, and chopper services would not be available for pilgrims.