The Jammu and Kashmir government on August 2 asked Amarnath Yatris and tourists to immediately make necessary arrangements to cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible. The move came in the wake of intelligence inputs of "specific terror threats" to the pilgrimage.
The Principal Secretary (Home) issued a security advisory, saying pilgrims and tourists "may curtail their stay" and "return as soon as possible".
"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 said.
Earlier in the day, the Indian Army, in a press briefing, had said that security forces have recovered a Pakistan-made mine and a huge cache of arms from along the Amarnath Yatra route.
Searches were launched along the pilgrimage route after specific intelligence that Pakistan-based terrorists might target the Yatra using improvised explosive devices (IED) and attack pilgrims, Lt Gen Sarabjit Singh Dhillon said in a joint briefing by security forces.
The forces launched a massive operation along the Amarnath Yatra route, during which a huge a cache of arms was recovered and it included a mine with a Pakistan Ordnance Factory stamp and an American sniper rifle M-24, he informed mediapersons.
Dhillon refused to give the exact location from where the recovery was made as the search operation was still going on.
He said the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Jammu and Kashmir is more "pronounced" in the hinterland even as the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) remains "largely peaceful".
Regular infiltration attempts are being made by Pakistan-based terrorists but the Army is thwarting their bids at the LoC, he said.
On the reports of additional troops being sent to the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said security personnel were on regular duty during the year because of elections, among others, with no time to relax.
He said there were also "fresh inputs of increase in violence by terrorists" which made it necessary to "strengthen the counter intelligence grid" on the ground.
In another notice, the state government suspended Amarnath Yatra from Jammu route till August 4 due to inclement weather.
With inputs from PTI
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