Faith has failed the intentions of terrorists to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra 2017 after they attacked and killed 7 pilgrims in Anantnag district when they were returning from Baltal after visiting the holy cave on July 10. Even after the terrorist attack the count for the pilgrim’s going for Amarnath Yatra is increasing day by day. On Friday a batch of over 4,000 pilgrims left for Amarnath Shrine.
“Another batch of 4,105 yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 3.40 a.m. in an escorted convoy of 191 vehicles for the valley,” the official said. “The number of pilgrims has gradually started increasing since Monday as the daily arrivals have been going up after the terror attack,” another official said.
Authorities have tightened security ensuring no vehicle carrying pilgrims moved on the highway unescorted.It has also been decided that in addition to escort vehicles accompanying the convoy of pilgrims, armed guards would be deployed inside each yatri vehicle during the journey. On Monday, six women and a man were killed while 19 other pilgrims were injured as the terrorists sprayed bullets on an unescorted private bus from Gujarat carrying the pilgrims from the Himalayan cave shrine.
The attack took place in the Khanabal area on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Over 1.90 devotees have performed the pilgrimage since it began on June 29. The 40-day Amarnath Yatra will end on August 7 on ‘Shravan Purnima’ coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival. Over 1,50,000 pilgrims have said to have visited the holy cave of Amarnath till now and had the darshan of Baba Barfani.
