Jammu: Under tight security, the third group of Amarnath pilgrims departed from the Jammu base camp towards Kashmir in the early hours of Friday, officials said.
A total of 6,411 devotees embarked on the journey in two convoys—one bound for Baltal and the other for Pahalgam—continuing their pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Cave Shrine nestled in the Himalayas.
Authorities arranged 291 vehicles for the movement, including 130 buses, 46 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 113 light motor vehicles (LMVs), and two two-wheelers, all operating under a comprehensive security setup.
The batch comprised 4,723 men, 1,071 women, 37 children, 487 sadhus, and 93 sadhvis, as per official figures.
Of the total, 2,789 pilgrims took the Baltal route, while 3,622 opted for the traditional Pahalgam track.
Both convoys were accompanied by security personnel and medical teams to ensure their safe passage.
An extensive deployment of forces from the police, CRPF, ITBP, and other paramilitary units has been made along the Yatra routes to facilitate a secure and incident-free pilgrimage.
The 38-day-long Yatra began on July 3 and will conclude on August 9.
