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Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Amarnath yatra routes declared ‘no-flying zones' from July 1 to Aug 10
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday declared the Amarnath Yatra routes as 'No Flying Zones' from July 1 to August 10. The annual yatra, which will start on July 3, will be the first major pilgrimage in the region since the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which terrorists gunned down 26 terrorists in Baisaran meadow, and the four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year. As per the orders issued by the J&K home department, on Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha's directions, flying of any kind of aviation platforms and devices, including UAVs, drones, balloons, is prohibited on both yatra routes – the Baltal and Pahalgam axis. The order will, however, not be applicable in case of medical evacuation, disaster management or for surveillance by security forces. The decision follows the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other stakeholders, during back-to-back meetings held over the past week, the order further stated. A senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said the government did not want to take any chances with the Amarnath pilgrims' safety. 'After the attack on tourists at Pahalgam, which is close to the yatra route, extra precautions are being taken. Every possible threat is being assessed and preventive measures are being taken by the government.' The security forces have already announced 'Operation Shiva' as part of which, nearly 50,000 paramilitary personnel, in coordination with the J&K Police, will conduct daily road opening operations to detect and neutralise hidden explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on yatra routes. Jammers will be installed for the first time to protect the yatra convoy during its movement. The forces have already taken over routes that will be used by yatris and additional security is in place across J&K.
NDTV
04-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Terror Threat Ahead Of Amarnath Yatra, Route Gets Massive Security Cover
New Delhi: A month after a ghastly terror attack left 26 civilians dead in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, a terror threat has emerged ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. Indian security forces have launched "Operation Shiva" to ensure the smooth conduct of the 38-day pilgrimage. The yatra begins on July 3 and will continue till August 9, involving a gruelling trek to a cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva at a height of 3,880 metres in the Himalayas. The first batch of pilgrims will leave for the yatra in buses from Srinagar on July 3. The preparations for the yatra have begun in full swing, taking into account every aspect concerning the devotees' safety. These include unprecedented arrangements from the Yatri Niwas to the entire route. Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the security forces to maintain high alert during the Yatra. Top administrative, police, and paramilitary officials have already taken stock of the Yatri Niwas. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has reviewed the security preparations. Over 50,000 soldiers have deployed along the routes, base camps, and sensitive areas. Drones and helicopters will also be used for surveillance. A three-tier security system will be in place, including body scanners, CCTV cameras, and 24x7 surveillance, to screen the pilgrims. All registered pilgrims will be given RFID tags that will make their real-time tracking possible. Security forces have already done a 3D mapping of the route to the cave shrine. Security audit of the entry and exit points is also over. The route has been wrapped in a thick security layer comprising over 500 companies of central paramilitary forces. Anti-sabotage teams will also be deployed along the routes, and regular mock drills will be held. The unprecedented security arrangements come in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 tourists and a Kashmiri pony ride operator were shot dead by Pakistan-linked terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
NDTV
31-05-2025
- NDTV
Amarnath Yatra Registration Begins Online, Offline: Here's How To Enroll
New Delhi: The government has been stepping up security arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra this year. Set to start on July 3, this will be the first annual pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir since the deadly Pahalgam attack in April. Authorities have increased safety-related precautions under 'Operation Shiva' to prevent any possible terror movements during the yatra. The 38-day pilgrimage will continue until August 9. The Amarnath Yatra involves a gruelling trek to the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine in Kashmir. The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the yatra, started the registrations for the trip on April 15. The Amarnath Yatra will end on Rakshabandhan this year. Important Dates To Remember Start Date: July 3 End Date: August 9 How To Register For Amarnath Yatra Devotees can get their Aamarnath Yatra registration done online or offline. For offline registration, 540 designated bank branches have been set up for pilgrims across the country. For online registration, pilgrims can visit the official website of the SASB. Here is the detailed process: - Go to the website and select "Online Services". - Select "Yatra Permit Registration." Click on the "Register" button after reading the dos and don'ts. - Fill in your personal details such as name and Aadhaar number. -Upload a scanned copy of your Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) and a passport-size photograph. - Verify your phone number using a one-time password and pay the registration fee. How To Reach There are two routes to reach Amarnath. The traditional 48-km Pahalgam route goes through Kashmir's Anantnag district. A shorter but steeper 14-km route passes through Baltal in the Ganderbal district. Security Arrangements On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Jammu and Kashmir to review the security arrangements ahead of the yatra. He chaired a high-level review meeting in Jammu, promising that the administration would provide all necessary facilities to the pilgrims. Chaired a review meeting for the Amarnath Pilgrimage and evaluated the security arrangements and preparedness meant for the pilgrims. Instructed to maintain the utmost vigilance and ensure the seamless completion of the sacred journey. Central govt and J&K administration will… — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 29, 2025 The Centre has ordered 580 companies to be deployed for the yatra, comprising almost 42,000 on-ground personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). A total of 424 companies are being sent to the Union Territory. About 80 companies that moved into the region during Operation Sindoor will be relocated to secure the pilgrim route and other areas. The forces have been directed to take position by the second week of June in Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported. Post the Pahalgam attack, the Indian armed forces had carried out Operation Sindoor - a targeted military attack on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). This escalated military tensions with Pakistan. The two countries reached a ceasefire agreement on May 10.
NDTV
30-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Explained: How Officials Are Planning To Hold Amarnath Yatra, 1st After J&K Attack
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir begins on July 3, following a recent terror attack. Authorities are enhancing security under Operation Shiva, deploying 42,000 personnel. New Delhi: The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine in Kashmir is set to begin on July 3 - in a first after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in the region. The yatra has become a focal point for the central security agencies, with the authorities stepping up safety-related precautions under 'Operation Shiva' - an exercise term launched by the Indian Army to prevent any possible terror movements during the Amarnath Yatra. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine in Kashmir will start on July 3 and end on August 9, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said. Security arrangements The Centre has ordered the deployment of 580 companies, comprising about 42,000 on-ground personnel, of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the annual yatra, officials said on Thursday. While 424 companies are being sent to the Union Territory (UT), the rest, including about 80 companies that moved to the Valley during Operation Sindoor, will be relocated to secure the yatra route, the pilgrims, and other areas, including Srinagar. Officials have also directed the forces to move immediately and take position in Jammu and Kashmir by the second week of June, reported news agency PTI. CRPF Director General (DG) Gyanendra Pratap Singh had reviewed the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra when he was in Kashmir earlier this week. Border Security Forces (BSF) DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary also stressed the need for heightened safety and security during the Amarnath Yatra. He also chaired a meeting at the Jammu frontier headquarters to review and strengthen border domination measures in the region. Amit Shah in J&K Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday to review the security arrangements ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. He chaired a high-level review meeting on preparations for the yatra in Jammu and said that the central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration will leave no stone unturned to provide all necessary facilities to the pilgrims. Chaired a review meeting for the Amarnath Pilgrimage and evaluated the security arrangements and preparedness meant for the pilgrims. Instructed to maintain the utmost vigilance and ensure the seamless completion of the sacred journey. Central govt and J&K administration will… — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 29, 2025 Mr Shah also instructed officials to maintain utmost vigilance and ensure the seamless completion of the pilgrimage. "The Modi government is committed to making the pilgrimage of pilgrims safe, smooth, and convenient. All agencies should further enhance surveillance using drones and other innovative technologies. All security agencies should work on complete area domination and the zero error principle. There should be vigilance, real-time intelligence sharing, and seamless coordination among all security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the area," he said. Amarnath yatra The Amarnath temple is one of the holiest shrines for Hindus and is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of a 'linga' in a cave on the Amarnath mountain. It is managed by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which was constituted by an Act of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature in 2000. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is the chairman of the shrine board.. The journey to the shrine can be undertaken through two routes - the traditional 48-km route through Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. This year, the offline registration for the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra began with enthusiastic pilgrims forming a huge line outside the 540 designated bank branches across the country. According to the board, no one below the age of 13 or above 75 and women with more than six weeks' pregnancy shall be registered for the pilgrimage. Last year, the pilgrimage to Amarnath was completed by a record number of more than 5.12 lakh pilgrims, Mr Shah had said.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Operation Shiva: Security forces prepare to guard Amarnath Yatra
Security forces are preparing to launch Operation Shiva to guard the upcoming Amarnath yatra, and thousands of personnel will be assigned duties in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure that the annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountain cave shrine goes smoothly, officials aware of the development said on Monday. This year, the yatra is happening against the backdrop of simmering tensions between India and Pakistan that are threatening to reach a flashpoint in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror strike, and the Pakistan Army stepped up hostilities along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the 11th straight day. In Delhi, national security adviser Ajit Doval and defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi separately and briefed him on the latest security developments after the April 22 strike that killed 26 people and sparked the worst crisis between the nuclear-armed neighbours since the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, the officials said, asking not to be named. Over the weekend, the chief of the air staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, and the navy chief, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, briefed Modi on the operational readiness of the two services and the current security dynamics in the region. The meetings were significant as the PM has granted the military a free hand to respond forcefully to the Pahalgam terror attack. Operation Shiva is an annual multi-agency effort, but this year the challenges of securing and monitoring the yatra route from Jammu right up to the 13,000-foot sacred cave in south Kashmir's mountains have been magnified by the rare and targeted terror strike on Hindu tourists at Baisaran near Pahalgam, said one of the officials. The yatra will be conducted from July 3 to August 9. Last year, 5.1 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine --- the highest in 12 years. One of the two main routes that serve the cave passes through Pahalgam and at one point is barely six km from the site of the Baisaran attack that was reminiscent of the heyday of terrorism in the 1990s and 2000s and the worst strike on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes. The other route is in the north, from Baltal near Sonamarg. 'The Pakistan Army has been violating the ceasefire daily after the Pahalgam strike. This pattern could also be linked to supporting terrorist infiltration attempts. The safety of the pilgrims is a top priority. The security forces have perfected their drills over the years and will leave nothing to chance,' said another official, associated with Operation Shiva. On Monday, the Pakistan Army escalated tensions along the LoC by firing at Indian posts in several sectors, including Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani and Akhnoor, marking the 11th straight day of ceasefire violations, the officials said. The Indian Army's counter-fire was measured but effective, they added. The neighbouring army had opened fire in these eight sectors on Sunday too, the maximum number of areas it targeted on a single day since the Pahalgam terror attack. The extensive ceasefire violations are being seen as a deliberate attempt by Pakistan to escalate tensions along the de facto border, where it has rushed reinforcements to bolster its posture. The separate meetings between the PM, and the NSA and defence secretary, came a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh pledged a crushing response to those who threaten India's security and assured the country that under 'Prime Minister Modi's leadership, whatever you want will certainly happen.' Modi has already underlined that the armed forces have complete operational freedom to choose 'the mode, targets, and timing of the response' to the terror attack that has stretched fragile ties with Pakistan to a breaking point. 'As the defence minister, it is my responsibility to work with my soldiers and ensure the security of the country's borders. It is also my responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a crushing reply to those who threaten India,' the defence minister said on Sunday. The Pakistan Army, which has repeatedly targeted Indian posts after the Pahalgam terror attack, on April 30 opened fire across the international border (IB) for the first time since the strike in a brazen attempt to escalate hostilities. Pakistani soldiers then fired at Indian positions along the IB in the Pargwal sector near Jammu, and along the LoC in sectors including Akhnoor, Naushera, Sunderbani, Baramulla and Kupwara, seeking to open a wider front to engage the Indian Army. The repeated targeting of Indian posts has sparked the most extensive cross-border exchange since the 2021 ceasefire. The Pakistan military was on April 29 warned against the unprovoked firings along the LoC when a brigadier from the Indian Army's directorate general of military operations spoke to his Pakistani counterpart over the hotline. The pattern of violations has, however, only intensified. Since the April 22 attack, India has unveiled several punitive measures, banning the import of goods originating in Pakistan, prohibiting Pakistan-flagged vessels from docking at Indian ports, shutting its airspace to aircraft registered in or operated by that country, suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading bilateral ties, expelling most Pakistani citizens in India, and shutting down the only operational land border crossing at Attari. Pakistan has also unveiled tit-for-tat reactions to punitive measures announced by India, but neither side has thus far indicated its intent to abandon the ceasefire. It has closed its airspace to Indian airlines, suspended all trade with India, and has threatened to suspend bilateral pacts such as the Simla Agreement.
