Amarnath Yatra flagged-off from Jammu

The highest level of security measures have been put in place ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh flagged-off the Amarnath Yatra from a Jammu base camp in the wee hours on Wednesday.

The first batch of Yatris embarked on the 40-day-long annual yatra to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Himalayas. It involves a trek at an altitude of around 14,000 feet to reach the shrine located at a distance of about 141 km from Srinagar.

The highest level of security measures have been put in place ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra. With the Intelligence Bureau warning of a terror threat from the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, security is high, the security measures would also include a satellite tracking system.

In addition to the existing strength of the CRPF in the state, the Centre has provided over 250 companies (25,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces to the state government. The BSF has deployed over 2,000 troops for the yatra while the Army has provided 5 battalions (about 5000 personnel) and additional 54 companies (5400 personnel) of the police have also been mobilised.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid said someone has spread it on social media to create panic.

The government has mobilised a heavy security blanket of over 35,000 to 40,000 troops including the police, the Army, the BSF and the CRPF.

OneIndia News