People gather at a base camp as preparations for the annual ‘Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra’ are underway, near Pahalgam, in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 14, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Centre has decided to increase the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from 581 companies in 2025 to 670 companies this year for the upcoming 57 days of Amarnath yatra.
The increase of 89 additional CAPF companies came in the backdrop of the terror attack on tourists in April 2025 in Pahalgam, which is one of the yatra routes in south Kashmir, besides the Baltal route in central Kashmir. The CAPF personnel will man the pilgrimage route from Jammu’s entry point, Lakhanpur, the stopovers in Jammu and the cave shrine in Kashmir.
For the first time after the Pahalgam attack, the J&K police carried out background checks of service providers who offer services like palanquins and horse rides to pilgrims up to the cave shrine. Special identity cards with QR codes have been issued to the service providers “to discourage mingling of miscreants among them”.
Police officials said J&K Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat directed the district heads “to ensure proper arrangements for incoming units and their efficient ground deployment”.
Refining the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Amarnath yatra, DGP Prabhat called for “proactive strategies to counter potential threats”. The police officer also instructed field formations “to intensify efforts aimed at dismantling the terror ecosystem and strengthening area domination along the pilgrimage routes”.
Special anti-sabotage teams, backed by advanced surveillance systems, face detectors and real-time monitoring mechanisms, are being put in place for the upcoming yatra, officials said. The J&K Police have started “random inspections at vulnerable areas and intensified patrolling to effectively address any potential security concerns”.
Published – May 30, 2026 04:52 am IST
