Banihal, Jul 13: The twelfth batch of pilgrims undertaking the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2026 left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu during the early hours of Monday under multi-layer security arrangements.
According to the Joint Police Control Room, Base Camp Bhagwati Nagar, a total of 7,754 pilgrims departed for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in a convoy of 303 vehicles.
The Baltal-bound convoy, carrying 2,896 pilgrims in 133 vehicles, departed at 2:44 a.m., while the Pahalgam-bound convoy, comprising 4,858 pilgrims in 170 vehicles, left at 3:28 a.m.
The batch includes 5,383 male pilgrims, 2,071 female pilgrims, 16 children, 222 sadhus, 58 sadhvis, and four transgender pilgrims.
To facilitate the movement of pilgrims, authorities deployed 164 buses, 41 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 91 light motor vehicles (LMVs), and seven two-wheelers in the convoy.
The pilgrimage convoy is travelling under elaborate security arrangements with escorts provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
With the departure of the twelfth batch, the total number of pilgrims who have left Bhagwati Nagar for the Kashmir Valley since the commencement of the Yatra has reached 87,701, officials said.
