Today in Politics: Amit Shah to chair high-level huddle on J-K security, Amarnath Yatra preps

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a high-level meeting on Sunday to take stock of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah is holding the meeting in the wake of the recent terror attacks in the Union Territory and is expected to give broad guidelines on intensifying counter-terror operations there.

The Home Minister will also review the preparation for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, which is set to start on June 29. Shah is expected to stress on providing smooth arrangements on the route from the airport and railway station to the pilgrimage base camp and proper security of all pilgrims.

Shah is to chair the meeting three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a similar meeting where he directed officials to deploy the “full spectrum of counter-terror capabilities” after a spate of terror incidents, including an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims.

The meeting called by Shah would be attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Director General of CRPF Anish Dayal Singh, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police R R Swain and other top security officials.

Shah would be apprised about the security situation in J & K, the deployment of forces along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC), infiltration attempts, the status of ongoing anti-terror operations and the strength of terrorists operating in the Union Territory, sources said.

In context: Terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of J & K in the last four days, killing nine pilgrims and a CRPF