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New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
One terrorist killed, three trapped as encounter erupts in J&K
SRINAGAR: Amid increased security for the annual Amaranth Yatra beginning July 3, an encounter between terrorists and security forces in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday left a terrorist dead, while three others are trapped. 'Based on specific intelligence, a joint operation was launched by Indian Army and J&K Police in the Bihali area of Basantgarh in Udhampur district today,' the Army posted on X (formerly Twitter). The forces immediately laid siege around the area to track down the terrorists, braving inclement weather. 'During the search operation, security forces established contact with the hiding terrorists who fired on the search party,' the official said. He said the troops returned fire, triggering an encounter which lasted the entire day. 'A terrorist was killed in the gunfight so far,' an army official said. He said the security operation is going on to track down the remaining terrorists trapped in the area. According to IGP Jammu, security forces have inputs that four militants were trapped in the encounter. Additional troops have been rushed to the area to tighten the siege. The security forces used drones and other surveillance gadgets to pinpoint the movement of the terrorists. He said security agencies believe that it is the same group of militants, which has been active in Udhampur for the last year. It is suspected that the group belongs to Jaish-e-Mohammad and all of them are Pakistani nationals and well-armed and properly trained. The group was trapped in cordon and search operations on many occasions in Udhampur last year, too. But they had managed to give the slip to the security men, sources said. According to sources, security forces have been conducting aerial surveillance of the area through drones and other surveillance gadgets to keep track of the movement of the militants, who have been continuously changing their positions to escape the security forces cordon. There are heightened security measures for the Amarnath Yatra this year after the April 22 terror attack on tourists at Pahalgam's Baisaran in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed. 10% drop in Amarnath registration post attack: L-G J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha said on Thursday said there has been a drop of over 10% in pilgrim registration for this year's Amarnath Yatra in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. In view of the persisting threat, a total of 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, which is 30 more than previous years, have been deployed for the security of annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu division this year,
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
After record footfall last year, Amarnath Yatra sees dip in registrations under shadow of Pahalgam terror attack
Registration for the Amaranth Yatra, which is taking place just months after the Pahalgam terror attack, has seen a dip so far this year, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Thursday. This year's numbers have been directly impacted by the April 22 attack, before which, the LG said, over 2.36 lakh yatris had registered for the yatra. So far, 85,000 have confirmed their registrations. This, he said, would mark a decline of 10.19 per cent in registrations from last year. 'This year, before April 22, registration numbers were significant. After the unfortunate incident of April 22, registration has seen a decline, but it is picking up again. We are reaching out to those who had registered before April 22, and this number will increase,' Sinha said. The annual Amarnath Yatra is set to begin on July 3 and will continue till August 9. Last year, the yatra recorded the highest footfall in 12 years, with over five lakh devotees visiting the holy cave. With security concerns high this year, Sinha said that the presence of J&K Police officers and the number of companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been increased. 'The J&K Police, Army and CAPFs have set up a foolproof security system, and there will be three-tier security on both routes to the Amarnath cave. Mock drills have also been completed,' he said. Sinha added that the security of tourist spots has been enhanced. 'I say with responsibility that security measures have been taken with all possibilities in mind,' he said. In his appeal to the devotees travelling to Kashmir for the yatra, Sinha emphasised that all devotees 'must travel with the convoy, even those travelling in their private cars', to ensure the security of all individuals. This year's yatra will not include helicopter services as the area has been declared a no-fly zone. However, the LG said that only about 8 per cent of the yatris used the service, and it is unlikely to affect numbers significantly. The Amarnath Yatra has two main routes for pilgrims: the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route. He said that the route to the cave that was earlier about five feet wide has now been widened to 12 feet, 'and all vulnerable spots along the trek have been addressed'. The annual yatra invites devotees from all parts of the country and runs for over 40 days. There have also been concerns about increased security measures causing traffic snarls along the highways. However, the LG said that adequate travel advisories for tourists and locals will be issued closer to the beginning of the yatra. Additionally, with Muharram set to begin on June 27, Sinha added that processions in Srinagar 'will use the same routes as last year'.
