Article 370 anniversary: Security beefed up, Amarnath yatra suspended

No fresh batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims was allowed to leave the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for Kashmir as a precautionary measure in view of the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on Monday, officials said.

More than 4.90 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine so far this year.

"The yatra has been halted for the day as a precautionary measure. No fresh batch was allowed from Jammu to Kashmir today," an officer told PTI.

This step has been taken by the administration in view of the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. Security has been beefed up in the city, the officials said.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided it into two union territories � Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Amarnath Yatra commenced on June 29 and will conclude on August 19.

Meanwhile, Army troops opened fire after noticing the movement of two groups of infiltrators along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor and Sunderbani sectors of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Monday, officials said.

Though there was no exchange of fire, a massive search operation is underway in both areas to ensure that there is no infiltration from across the border, they said.

Alert Army troops opened fire after picking up suspicious movement of three to four infiltrators in a forward area in the Battal sector of Akhnoor on the outskirts of Jammu around 1.30 am, the officials said.

The area was illuminated with flares and put under surveillance through drones with reinforcements mobilised to lay a tight cordon. A search operation was launched at first light, they said.

The Army troops also fired a few rounds on noticing suspicious movement in a forward area in the Sunderbani-Nowshera sector in Rajouri district around 12.30 am. A search of the area along the LoC is also underway, they added.

Security has been beefed up across Jammu and Kashmir in view of the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, which granted a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday.