581 CAPF units, jammers, drones, K9 units: Post-Pahalgam attack, a full-spectrum shield for Amarnath Yatra

Time of India

2 days ago

NEW DELHI: The government has planned to deploy 581 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), jammers, drones and K9 units for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, making it one of the most heavily secured pilgrimages.
The annual yatra to the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted over a reduced 38-day schedule this year, from July 3 to August 9.
The annual pilgrimage comes as India remains on high alert after
Pahalgam terror attack
and a decisive '
Operation Sindoor
' by armed forces againt Pakistan-backed terrorism.
As part of a massive security overhaul, signal jammers will be deployed for the first time to protect the movement of yatra convoys, a measure aimed at neutralising threats posed by remote-controlled improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
During the passage of the convoy, all roads leading to the yatra routes and National Highways will be temporarily blocked to ensure maximum security, news agency ANI reported.
Security forces will be stationed across both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, with layered arrangements involving:
Road Opening Parties
(ROPs) to secure and sanitise key stretches ahead of movement.
Quick Action Teams
(QATs) positioned for rapid response.
Bomb Disposal Squads
(BDS) for neutralising explosives.
K9 units
- highly trained sniffer dogs for explosive detection.
Drones
to provide real-time aerial surveillance.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Nalin Prabhat on Monday had directed security forces to bolster measures to mitigate potential risks by deploying anti-sabotage teams along the pilgrimage routes.
The director general of police (DGP) also asked them to utilise advanced technologies to enhance surveillance and threat detection capabilities.