Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims have commenced their annual pilgrimage from Pahalgam, where a militant attack previously killed 26 individuals. The Indian government has deployed tens of thousands of security forces in response. The area has undergone significant militarization, with extensive checkpoints and security protocols for both locals and tourists. Despite the recent violence, pilgrims chant devotions as they navigate through heavy security. The Indian government claims the militants responsible, who are still at large, were backed by Pakistani nationals, a claim Islamabad denies.
The Indian government has deployed a security force of tens of thousands to facilitate the journey by devotees through one of the most militarized zones in the world.
Locals and tourists must pass their possessions through X-ray scanners before taking a narrow, circuitous back road, past dense pine forests and makeshift bunkers piled with sandbags.
The chaos and crowding in Pahalgam during the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage is a far cry from the scene in the town following April 22, when three gun-toting militants emerged from the nearby woods and opened fire, killing 25 Indians and one Nepali.
The Indian government has alleged that the militants, who remain at large, were Pakistani nationals operating with the tacit backing of the Pakistani government.
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