Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: Will Amarnath yatra be affected after fear among tourists? Know how are security arrangements

The Kashmir Valley reverberated with the sounds of gunshots which will forever haunt the survivors of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and their relatives back home. The inhumane and gruesome terrorist attack in Kashmir not only killed many people but has instilled a lasting fear among tourists, and a certain section of the society across India. While various organisations called for a Jammu and Kashmir Bandh, shops, fuel stations, businesses and all govt and private schools have also been closed, and concerns have been raised regarding the Amarnath Yatra 2025.  

Fears surround Amarnath Yatra 

Pahalgam is not only a beautiful destination in the Kashmir Valley where people especilly visit the ‘mini-Switzerland’ it is also a key route for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage. The route includes Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni which then reaches the sacred cave. It is where the Amarnath yatra starts from J-K and it serves as the base camp, where pilgrims stay and medical facilities are provided. The Baisaran Valley, where the Pahalgam attack took place is just 5 km from where the Amarnath Yatra begins. This has also spiked fears among pilgrims of the Amarnath Yatra as concerns regarding security have been raised.  

Many pilgrims who had come to visit Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine or were planning to come have said that such terrorist incidents have forced them to change their minds. A social media user on X expressed similar sentiments and said, “I was planning to visit Vaishno Devi, but now after today’s event, I don’t think I’ll be ever visiting Jammu and Kashmir. If I’ll be alive, I will visit many other temples.”   

Security arrangements ahead of Amarnath Yatra

Officials in the security establishment told PTI that a realignment of the security forces was also required ahead of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, which begins July 3. 

There are no security forces in the immediate vicinity of the meadows of the Bisaran Valley which is ringed by dense forests. The nearest is a unit of the 3rd battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Army and a company of the 116th battalion of the CRPF, the sources said. Amarnath Yatra sees a huge civilian movement in the Kashmir valley and hence the deployment will see a change this time to ensure foolproof security for the pilgrims and the locals, a senior security official said. 

The security agencies are now planning to readjust the deployment of troops so that they can be based closer to the Bisaran Valley area and also secure the rear of the forests so that any terrorist movement is kept under check. It takes time for the troops to reach this place from their locations, which are as far as 10-11 km, to the Bisaran area that is only approachable on foot or on horseback, they said. 

The Amarnath Yatra is scheduled for July 3 to August 9. The terrorist organisation that was behind the attack was the Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT which killed 26 people in the valley. This was the biggest such incident since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. After years of peace in the Valley, this incident is being seen as a reminder that maybe not everything is under control in Kashmir.