<p>Srinagar: Amid heightened security concerns and fears of possible drone attacks, the Jammu and Kashmir government has declared the entire pilgrimage route of the annual Amarnath Yatra a ‘No Flying Zone’.</p><p>The Union Territory’s Home Department, acting on an advisory from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has prohibited the use of all aerial platforms - including drones, UAVs, and even balloons - along both pilgrimage axes, the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.</p><p>The restriction will remain in effect from July 1 to August 10 and is aimed at ensuring “full proof security arrangements, they said. </p><p>“This measure is part of the broader security protocol to safeguard pilgrims and support staff against emerging threats, particularly the misuse of drone technology by militant elements.”</p><p>However, the ban will not apply to aerial operations related to medical evacuations, disaster response, or surveillance by security agencies.</p><p>This year, the yatra will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 9, spanning 38 days, which is shorter than last year’s 52-day schedule. The reduced duration is part of a broader security and logistical recalibration, officials said.</p>.Amit Shah directs security forces to maintain utmost vigil during Amarnath Yatra.<p>The Amarnath Yatra, which attracts hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims from across India and world, has long been on the radar of terror outfits. </p><p>In recent years, the security establishment has grown increasingly wary of the use of drones to smuggle arms or carry out attacks—an emerging tactic in insurgency-hit zones.</p><p>In view of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local were killed, additional security measures are being undertaken for peaceful conduct of the yatra.</p><p>Nearly 580 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) are to be deployed along the Yatra route, while aerial surveillance, RFID tracking of pilgrims, and multi-tier security cordons will supplement ground efforts to secure the yatra.</p><p>With just two weeks to go for the pilgrimage to begin, authorities are leaving little to chance. “The no-flying order is a precautionary but necessary move, given the nature of threats we face today,” a police official said.</p><p>The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the most significant religious events in India and a major logistical exercise for the administration.</p>
<p>Srinagar: Amid heightened security concerns and fears of possible drone attacks, the Jammu and Kashmir government has declared the entire pilgrimage route of the annual Amarnath Yatra a ‘No Flying Zone’.</p><p>The Union Territory’s Home Department, acting on an advisory from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has prohibited the use of all aerial platforms - including drones, UAVs, and even balloons - along both pilgrimage axes, the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.</p><p>The restriction will remain in effect from July 1 to August 10 and is aimed at ensuring “full proof security arrangements, they said. </p><p>“This measure is part of the broader security protocol to safeguard pilgrims and support staff against emerging threats, particularly the misuse of drone technology by militant elements.”</p><p>However, the ban will not apply to aerial operations related to medical evacuations, disaster response, or surveillance by security agencies.</p><p>This year, the yatra will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 9, spanning 38 days, which is shorter than last year’s 52-day schedule. The reduced duration is part of a broader security and logistical recalibration, officials said.</p>.Amit Shah directs security forces to maintain utmost vigil during Amarnath Yatra.<p>The Amarnath Yatra, which attracts hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims from across India and world, has long been on the radar of terror outfits. </p><p>In recent years, the security establishment has grown increasingly wary of the use of drones to smuggle arms or carry out attacks—an emerging tactic in insurgency-hit zones.</p><p>In view of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local were killed, additional security measures are being undertaken for peaceful conduct of the yatra.</p><p>Nearly 580 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) are to be deployed along the Yatra route, while aerial surveillance, RFID tracking of pilgrims, and multi-tier security cordons will supplement ground efforts to secure the yatra.</p><p>With just two weeks to go for the pilgrimage to begin, authorities are leaving little to chance. “The no-flying order is a precautionary but necessary move, given the nature of threats we face today,” a police official said.</p><p>The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the most significant religious events in India and a major logistical exercise for the administration.</p>