Soon after a joint press briefing by the army and police on intelligence inputs that there were attempts by Pakistan to disrupt/target the Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued a security advisory in the interest of yatra pilgrims and tourists.
The government order advised tourists and the yatris to curtail their stay in the Kashmir Valley and take necessary measures to return as soon as possible.
Here are the key highlights from the joint press conference:
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, the Commander of the 15 Corps, said the threat of improvised explosive devices in the Valley is “more pronounced”, but it is being tackled effectively by security forces by conducting regular searches. He said that during searches, a mine with Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings was seized.
The forces have also found a huge cache of arms along the Amarnath Yatra route which included a US M-24 sniper rifle and a mine with markings of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory, the Army officer said.
I G Kashmir SP Pani said, “More than 10 serious attempts to trigger IED blasts were made in the Valley, mostly in Pulwama and Shopian areas.”
The Army also said that 83 percent of terrorists have a history of stone-pelting.
J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said that additional troops have been deployed because there is a lack of relaxation time for troops and an increase in violence by terrorists. He added that numbers circulating in social media about additional forces sent to Kashmir were exaggerated.
Singh added that there were “fresh inputs of increase in violence by terrorists” which made it necessary to “strengthen the counter intelligence grid” on the ground.
IG Kashmir, SP Pani, said, “More than 10 serious attempts to trigger IED blasts were made in the Valley, mostly in Pulwama and Shopian areas.”
The Army also said that 83 percent of terrorists have a history of stone-pelting.
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