The army in Kashmir said on Monday that the three militants who were killed a day earlier in the Keran sector along the Line of Control had intentions to target the annual Amarnath Yatra.

The revelation coincided with the launch of multiple operations by the army in Jammu, prompted by intelligence inputs indicating militant presence.

Three suspected militants were killed in the Keran sector of the LoC on Sunday as the security forces foiled their infiltration bid.

The 52-day Yatra is progressing well in Kashmir and over 3 lakh pilgrims have had the darshan at the cave so far. The Yatra ends on August 29.

Thousands of security forces have been deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to secure the Yatra. Additional forces were deployed in Jammu following apprehensions of a strike on devotees after last month’s militant attack that killed nine Shiv Khori pilgrims in the Reasi district of Jammu.

Brigadier N.R. Kulkarni, who heads the Keran-based 268 Brigade, on Monday said the forces had been carrying out area domination of the region along the LoC for the past few weeks after receiving multiple inputs on the presence of militants at launch pads across the LoC.

“The inputs were primarily of terrorists planning to infiltrate and carry out sabotage and subversive activities in the hinterland to disrupt normality in general and the Amarnath Yatra in particular,” Brigadier Kulkarni told reporters in Kupwara.

“The area has been aggressively dominated by our own troops for the past few weeks. On July 12, specific inputs were given by our intelligence agencies, and they were further corroborated by Jammu and Kashmir police, that a mixed group of foreign terrorists were likely to infiltrate the Keran sector,” he said.

The officer said militant movements were noticed near the fence by the army, police and the BSF during the intervening night of July 13 and 14 and they were thwarted by gunfire. “Three heavily armed and well-trained militants” were killed in the gunfight.

Success has, however, eluded security forces in Jammu where militants involved in several high-profile attacks remain at large.

Sources said operations were launched in the Jammu, Doda and Reasi districts of
the Jammu province following suspicious sightings of militants.

Police and CRPF personnel launched a joint operation at Lower Gharota, Thathi and adjoining areas in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu after villagers said suspicious movement of three persons in combat uniform was noticed.