Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. The Home Minister has also reviewed the preparations for the annual Amarnath Yatra starting from June 29. This high level meeting was held in Delhi. Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and officials from the Army, paramilitary forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police and intelligence agencies were present in the meeting. This is the first high-level meeting chaired by Amit Shah on Jammu and Kashmir in his second term as Union Home Minister. If sources are to be believed, the meeting also discussed the closure of infiltration routes from the international border between Jammu and Kathua.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a similar meeting, in which he gave instructions to the officials regarding security arrangements. Sources said the home minister may give broad guidelines on intensifying the anti-terror campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said Shah is likely to be apprised of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, deployment of security forces along the International Border and Line of Control, anti-infiltration drills, status of counter-terror operations and terrorists operating in the union territory. He said that he would issue broad guidelines on immediate action by security agencies as per Prime Minister’s instructions.
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4 terrorist attacks one after the other in Jammu and Kashmir
Terrorists attacked four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the last four days, killing nine pilgrims and one CRPF jawan and injuring seven security personnel and several others. Two suspected Pakistani militants were also killed in an encounter with security forces in Kathua district and a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them. The incident took place ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave temple in the South Kashmir Himalayas. The Yatra is starting from June 29 and will continue till August 19. Pilgrims travel to Amarnath through two routes in Jammu and Kashmir – Baltal and Pahalgam.
The number of Amarnath Yatris may increase this year
Sources said that last year more than 4.28 lakh people visited the cave temple and this time the figure may touch five lakh. All pilgrims are likely to be given RFID cards so that their actual location can be tracked and all will be provided with an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh. For each animal carried by pilgrims Rs. 50,000 will also be an insurance cover.
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