Amit Shah In J&K: In the wake of recent terror attacks, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting on Sunday at the Ministry of Home Affairs in North Block, Delhi to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and preparedness for the Amarnath Yatra.


The meeting was attended by NSA Ajit Doval, J&K LG Manoj Sinha, Home Secretary, Army Chief Manoj Pande and Army Chief designate Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, Director IB Tapan Deka, CRPF DG Anish Dayal, BSF DG Nitin Agarwal among other officers of Ministry of Home Affairs and the Union Territory.






Shah is likely to give broad guidelines to intensify counter-terror operations, news agency PTI reported, citing sources. The home minister will also review the preparations for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, set to start on June 29.


Shah's high-level meeting comes three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a similar meeting where he issued directions to officials and asked them to deploy the "full spectrum of counter-terror capabilities" after a spate of terror incidents, including an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims.


The former BJP chief is likely to be apprised about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the deployment of forces along the International Border and Line of Control, infiltration attempts, the status of ongoing anti-terror operations, and the strength of terrorists operating in the Union Territory, sources told PTI.


The Union Minister is also expected to give broad guidelines about the immediate action to be taken by the security agencies in line with the prime minister's directive, the sources further said.


Terror Attacks In J&K


Jammu and Kashmir recently witnessed multiple terror attacks over a period of four days. Terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts claiming lives of nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan and leaving seven security personnel and several others injured.


Two suspected Pakistani terrorists were also killed in an encounter with security forces in Kathua district and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from them.


The incidents of terror attack come ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas, which is set to begin on June 29 and will continue till August 19.


The Amarnath pilgrims travel through two routes -- Baltal and Pahalgam -- in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said last year, over 4.28 lakh people visited the cave shrine and the figure could go up to five lakh this time.


According to PTI, all pilgrims are likely to receive RFID cards so that their real-time location can be traced and everyone will be given Rs 5 lakh insurance cover. There will also be an insurance cover of Rs 50,000 for each animal carrying the pilgrims.


The Union Home Minister is expected to stress on providing smooth arrangements on the route from the airport and railway station to the pilgrimage base camp and proper security of all pilgrims.