Security agencies on tenterhooks after inputs of militant movement along Yatra route

The government agencies have received specific inputs about movement of militants in the areas that fall along the Amarnath Yatra route following which the security has been beefed up.
Following the inputs about the movement of militants in Gund and Gutli Bagh areas along the yatra route in Ganderbal, officials said, multi-tier security arrangements have been put in place.
Aerial surveillance has been carried out along both Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to the vast forest area to avoid any untoward incidents. The Gund forest area of Kachpathri and Surfraw connects up to Harwan, while as the internal tracts of Sonamarg lead even upto Gurez, said officials.
Government officials said while the vantage points have been protected with heavy presence of Army, the Road Opening Parties (ROP) comprise of both police, ITBP and BSF.
There have been multiple inputs that the yatra may be disrupted by the militants. Even as some Hurriyat leaders have recently stated that the yatris were guests in their public contact programmes in Ganderbal, government agencies are not taking any chances.
The forces had sealed the areas including the Nunwan base camp In Pahalgam days ahead of the yatra, but after the inputs about the presence of militants additional five companies of paramilitary forces were deployed.
A top government official in the state’s Home department said adequate security arrangements have been put in place and Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, had expressed satisfaction in the meeting of the officers at Raj Bhawan earlier.
“There have been inputs about the movement of militants in Gund and Gutlibagh. There have been reports about the movement of two separate groups of six militants, including the foreigners in Gund and Gutlibagh, and the inputs have been communicated to authorities,” said an official.
The militant movement, officials said, was reported ahead of the visit of Home Minister and Govenor, N N Vohra to the Amarnath cave shrine. Home Minister took an aerial survey of the area. In Ganderbal the base camp of the yatris at Manigam is the place where the pilgrims assemble to take the route up to the cave shrine, which is at a distance of nearly 60 kilometres.
The ROPs and the “corridor protection” has been put in place along the route. Officials said while upper areas of Pahalgam have remained relatively peaceful in recent times, from Srigufwara area there are some youth who are active as militants.
“The Bijbehara area has also been quite active on militancy front due to which we are not taking any chances,” said an official.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, Imtiaz Ismail Parray said adequate security arrangements have been put in place for smooth yatra. He added that security has been stepped up all along the yatra route from Manigam to the cave shrine.