AMARNATH pilgrimage cut short in wake of threat of attacks by terrorists

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday asked Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to immediately to cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible 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”. Amaranth Yatra from Jammu route has been suspended till August 4 due to inclement weather. In Srinagar, the Indian Army on Friday said it has confirmed inputs about Pakistan planning an attack on the Amarnath Yatra. ANI reports addressing a presser, Chinar Corps Commander Lt General KJS Dhillon said the neighbor was trying to disrupt peace in the Valley. “Situation on the Line of Control is under control and very much peaceful. Infiltration bids from Pakistan side are being successfully thwarted. Type of IEDs we are examining and the IED expert terrorists we are capturing and eliminating proved that that Pakistan is trying to disrupt peace in Kashmir. We assure ‘awaam’ of Kashmir that no one will be allowed to disrupt peace. “A Pakistan Army landmine was  recovered from one of the caches of terrorists which clearly indicated that Pakistan Army is involved in terrorism in Kashmir.“An M-24 American sniper rifle with a telescope was also recovered from a terror cache along Shri Amarnath ji route,” General Dhillon added.Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh, who also addressed the joint briefing, said: “The overall number of active militants in the Valley and in the Jammu region has come down.”The two officials made an emphatic appeal to mothers of the Valley. “We had done in-depth analysis of terrorism in Kashmir. 83 per cent of local people who pick up weapons had record of stone pelting. I request all mothers; if today your child throws stones at security forces for Rs 500, he’ll become a terrorist tomorrow,” Dhillon said.

CRPF IG Zulfiqar Hasan said: “The Amarnath Yatra has seen unprecedented turnout and despite many threats, it has been peaceful. There have been serious attempts to disrupt the yatra but they were unsuccessful due to hard work of security personnel, use of technology and cooperation of people. Meanwhile, Ministry of Home Affairs headed by Amit Shah is deputing additional troops to the state.”(Image courtesy to DNA India)