Jammu, June 26: A total of 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed for the security of this year’s 38-day-long Amarnath Yatra, an increase of 30 companies compared to previous years. The pilgrimage to the 3,880-meter-high holy cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas is set to begin on July 3, using both the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route and the shorter 14-km Baltal route.
Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, assured pilgrims of a safe journey and urged those traveling from Jammu to join official convoys rather than traveling independently. The first batch of pilgrims will depart from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp on July 2.
“Police are alert to ensure the security of every Amarnath pilgrim,” the IGP stated. He added that five districts in the Jammu region—Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, and Ramban—form the circuit through which the yatra passes. The increased CAPF deployment, reaching 180 companies, covers the area from Lakhanpur in Kathua, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, all the way to Jammu. Road Opening Patrols have also been introduced, strengthening areas that previously had minimal deployment.
Tuti emphasized the sensitive nature of the Jammu and Kashmir region, stating that the deployment was made with these requirements in mind. He reiterated his appeal for pilgrims to utilize the official convoys that depart daily from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for Pahalgam and Baltal under tight security.
Addressing the issue of drug menace, the IGP highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir, as a border state, faces a dual challenge: combating terrorism and the narcotics trade, which is often used to fund terrorist activities.
