Jammu, May 30 ,2026- In a major security boost for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra 2026, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the deployment of 670 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) across Jammu and Kashmir to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage. The deployment is being described as the largest-ever security arrangement for the Amarnath Yatra.
The 57-day pilgrimage is scheduled to commence on July 3 and conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Sawan Purnima. Security forces will be deployed along the entire pilgrimage route, from Lakhanpur to the holy cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas.
According to officials, the deployment plan has been finalized in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir administration and senior security agencies. The security grid will cover the Baltal and Pahalgam routes, Nunwan and Baltal base camps, Yatri Niwas Jammu, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, railway infrastructure, and other key transit points used by pilgrims.
Additional CAPF units are expected to begin arriving in the Union Territory in early June, with full deployment likely to be completed by June 25. The Indian Army will secure strategic heights and sensitive areas around the shrine, while the Jammu and Kashmir Police will coordinate ground-level security operations and facilitate smooth movement of pilgrims.
Authorities have also intensified security measures along the Jammu-Srinagar railway corridor, anticipating increased pilgrim movement through Vande Bharat train services. Areas including Udhampur, Katra, Reasi, Banihal, and Qazigund will remain under heightened surveillance throughout the pilgrimage period.
Officials stated that security arrangements have been designed to ensure that routine anti-terror operations across Jammu and Kashmir remain unaffected. Special attention will be given to the twin pilgrimage tracks, transit camps, road-opening operations, and surveillance patrols.
Meanwhile, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has witnessed an enthusiastic response from devotees, with more than 3.5 lakh pilgrims reportedly registering for the yatra since the registration process began in April.
The extensive security deployment underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring a safe, peaceful, and successful Shri Amarnath Yatra 2026, one of the country’s most significant annual religious pilgrimages.
