First batch of pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine

The first batch of Amarnath Yatra including a total of 2,995 pilgrims will leave for the Yatra on Thursday.

The pilgrims who were escorted by the Jammu police on Wednesday have already left the city.

The first batch of the pilgrims will move to the shrine in two groups. While the first group including 1,091 people left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas and were proceeding to the Baltal base camp. The second group including 1,904 moved towards the Pahalgam base camp.

Nearly one lakh security personnel with an additional 213 companies of paramilitary forces  have been deployed to guard the pilgrims in the Amarnath Yatra. 

Governor N N Vohra, who is also chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) manages the yatra and has worked to improve the security arrangements for the pilgrimage.

All the security forces have been put on alert by the officials. The officials have also asked the forces to be prepared for any militants attack.

"There are inputs that terrorists may strike at these camps as they know that the security grid for the Amarnath yatra has been made very strong and vigil is at an all-time high. Leaves of personnel have been slightly rationed to ensure that camps and other movements of forces are not rendered vulnerable during the two-months of the yatra time," the official said.

Special contingents of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Jammu and Kashmir state rescue and relief squads have been placed at vital locations all along the yatra route to respond to any natural or man-made calamity.

8 civilians were killed while several others were injured in a terrorist attack on the Amarnath pilgrims last year.

(With inputs from Agencies)