The Jammu and Kashmir administration has requested the Indian Air Force to airlift the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims out of Kashmir to places such as Jammu, Pathankot or Delhi, from where they can go back home.
"A request has been received from the state administration for the IAF to carry the pilgrims out of the Kashmir valley in their C-17 transport. The first such sortie of the C-17s is likely to fly out of the Kashmir valley soon," said sources on Saturday.
The C-17 Globemasters are already operating to move paramilitary troops from different parts of the country for precautionary deployment in the Valley. The giant plane can airlift around 230 passengers in one go and takes less time than the Russian Ilyushin-76 to fly between different places.
An estimated 11,000 tourists, including yatris and over 200 foreigners, were in the Valley as on Friday, said official sources.
At Srinagar Airport
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| 6,216 passengers reported at Srinagar International Airport on Saturday |
| Of them, 5,829 moved out of the state by 32 scheduled flights |
| The remaining were taken to Jammu, Hindon and Pathankot with the help of IAF planes |
The government's decision to curtail the ongoing Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir came after a series of intelligence inputs were received by security agencies, warning of multiple terror attacks by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad.
These plots were in their final stages of planning before crucial intelligence inputs were received by the Indian security establishment that resulted in quick mobilisation of troops for counter-insurgency operations.
According to latest reports, three JeM operatives were positioned in terror launch pads in the Nezapir sector of PoK, opposite the Indian post of Shahpur sector in Poonch.
The report also suggested that an IED attack was being planned on security forces along the Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri highway. Meanwhile, the state government suspended the 'Machail Yatra' to Goddess Durga shrine in Kishtwar.
—Inputs from agencies
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