Amarnath Yatris, tourists told to cut down stay in valley

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked tourists and Amarnath Yatris to make necessary arrangements immediately to cut short their stay in the Valley and return as soon as possible in the wake of intelligence inputs of "specific terror threats" to the pilgrimage.

The Home department on Friday issued a security advisory to this effect, saying pilgrims and tourists "may curtail their stay" and "return as soon as possible".

"Keeping in view the latest intelligence inputs of terror threats, with specific targeting of the Amarnath Yatra, and given the prevailing security situation in the Kashmir Valley, in the interest of safety and security of the tourists and Amarnath Yatris, it is advised that they may curtail their stay in the Valley immediately and take necessary measures to return as soon as possible," it said.

Earlier in the day, Indian Army in a media briefing, said that security forces have recovered a Pakistan-made mine and a huge cache of arms from along the Amarnath Yatra route.

Searches were launched along the pilgrimage route after specific intelligence that Pakistan-based terrorists might target the Yatra using improvised explosive devices and attack pilgrims, Lt Gen Sarabjit Singh Dhillon said in a joint briefing by security forces.

The forces launched a massive operation along the Amarnath Yatra route, during which a huge a cache of arms was recovered, and it included a mine with a Pakistan Ordnance Factory stamp and an American sniper rifle M-24, he said.

On the reports of additional troops being sent to the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said security personnel were on regular duty during the year because of elections, among others, with no time to relax.