Union home minister Amit Shah is meeting National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Intelligence bureau chief Arvind Kumar, RAW’s Samant Goel, Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba and other officials today amid a massive security build-up in Kashmir.
There have been intelligence reports that militants have made multiple infiltration attempts to launch an attack similar to the one in Pulwama in February. In view of that, a huge number of security personnel have been deployed in the state and tourists and pilgrims on Amarnath yatra have been asked to leave the immediately.
Intelligence sources said militants were making multiple attempts to cross the Line of Control and infiltrate into India between July 29 and July 31. The army said on Saturday that five men of Pakistan’s Border Action Team or BAT were killed while they were trying to infiltrate into India and strike at an army post in the nearby Keran sector.
Pakistan has been asked to take back the bodies of the intruders for last rites, but there has been no response so far. Heavy cross-border firing is continuing in Keran sector, sources said.
Over the last week, there has been huge security build-up in the state, with the Centre pushing in more than 35,000 paramilitary troops. The massive security build-up had triggered rumours in the Kashmir Valley about a possible government move on Article 35-A – which were rubbished by state Governor Satya Pal Malik.
The administration has issued an advisory for tourists and Amarnath pilgrims to leave the state immediately.
The advisory — issued on Friday — asked pilgrims and tourists to “curtail their stay” and “return as soon as possible”. The locals said it was unprecedented since such an advisory was not issued during the height of militancy in the 1990s. NDTV
