Burhan Wani death anniversary: Amarnath Yatra suspended for day, alert sounded in Valley

The Amarnath Yatra has been suspended in the Kashmir Valley on the third death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy Burhan Wani. Separatists have also called for the shutdown for the day. Officials said mobile internet services have been snapped in the four districts - Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian - of south Kashmir as a precautionary measure. Wani, once a poster boy of militancy in the Valley, was killed in an encounter with security forces on 8 July, 2016, in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. 

According to police officials, more than 3,000 pilgrims, who were scheduled to leave for the Valley on Monday, were stranded at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu.

Security forces were put on high alert after the intelligence agencies issued a warning of Pulwama-like terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8.

Officials also said stringent security arrangements have been put in place to maintain law and order on Monday. “Security has been beefed up in sensitive areas of valley to avoid any untoward incident,” a senior police officer said.

Burhan’s killing triggered massive protests and a prolonged period of curfews and shutdowns across the valley. Over a period of more than four months, 85 people were killed and thousand others injured in clashes between security forces and protestors.

Earlier in the day, a soldier was injured in a blast close to LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara. According to reports, the incident near the Pimple Post along the LoC. The jawan who has now been shifted to Army Hospital for treatment was on patrolling duty when the incident happened.