First batch of Amarnath Yatra flagged off; Hizbul commander calls pilgrims 'guests'

“Amarnath Yatris are not our target, they have come here to perform their religious rituals. They are our guests”, the Hizbul Commnader was heard speaking in an audio clip.

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Amid tight security and threat of a terror attack, the first batch of the Amarnath pilgrims embarked on the popular ‘Yatra’ on Tuesday morning. The pilgrimage batch was flagged off from Jammu's base camp in Bhagwant Nagar by BVR Subramanyam, Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir and BB Vyas and Vijay Kumar, advisors to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Narinder Nath Vohra. A day before the first batch of pilgrims left for the annual Yatra, an audio of Hizbul Mujahdeen operational commander Riyaz Naikoo came to light where he can be heard speaking about Amarnath Yatra saying: “Amarnath yatris are not our target, they have come here to perform their religious rituals. They are our guests”. This comes after an alert was issued by security forces warning about a terror attack, stating that Amarnath yatra is under terrorists’ radar. "All security arrangements have been made. We're using latest technology&vehicles,manpower has been increased as compared to last year. There's no specific threat as such, but we're ready for any kind of attack" said IG CRPF Jammu Sector on security arrangements made for the Yatra. So far nearly 2 lakh pilgrims from across the country have registered themselves for the Yatra to the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The pilgrims, including hermits have started arriving in Jammu from various parts of the country. They left for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir, in a fleet of vehicles under tight security in the early hours . They will reach the base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal and Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag districts in Kashmir later in the day. The pilgrims would start their onward journey to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine by foot, the next day, marking the commencement of the pilgrimage. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 26 coinciding with the 'Raksha Bandhan' festival. "Amarnath Yatra is a very significant annual event. With cooperation of public, all security agencies and development agencies, we have put a scheme in place and are trying our best to address concerns of the pilgrims. We will ensure smooth flow of traffic," Vijay Kumar said. Not to forget, on July 10 last year, at least nine Amarnath pilgrims were killed and 19 others were injured in an attack on the bus in Anantnag district.