89 more CAPF units, advanced tracking, real-time monitoring for safe Amarnath yatra this year

People gather at a base camp as preparations are underway for the annual ‘Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra’, near Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, March 14, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

The Center has decided to increase the deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) 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 April 2025 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, one of the yatra routes in south Kashmir, alongside the Baltal route in central Kashmir. CAPF personnel will man the pilgrimage route from the entry point of Jammu, Lakhanpur, stopover at Jammu and the cave shrine in Kashmir.

For the first time since the Pahalgam attack, the J&K police have conducted checks on service providers who offer services like stretchers and horse rides to pilgrims to the cave shrine. Service providers were issued special identity cards with QR codes “to prevent miscreants from mixing between them”.

Police officials said that J&K Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat directed the district heads “to ensure proper arrangements for the incoming troops and their effective ground deployment”.

While refining the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Amarnath yatra, DGP Prabhat called for “proactive strategies against potential threats”. The police officer also directed the field formations to “intensify efforts aimed at eliminating the terrorist ecosystem and strengthening dominance in the area along the pilgrimage routes”.

Special anti-sabotage teams backed by advanced surveillance systems, face detectors and real-time tracking mechanisms are being deployed for the upcoming yatra, officials said. The J&K Police has started “random inspections in vulnerable areas and intensified patrolling to effectively address any potential security issues”.

Published – 30 May 2026 04:52 IST