70,000 Troops, NSG Drills and Highway Control: Jammu Turns Fortress as Amarnath Yatra 2026 Security Grid Tightens

Srinagar: Security forces have turned Jammu into a fortress ahead of the Amarnath Yatra 2026, beginning on July 3, with NSG commandos, Army units, and police intensifying drills, highway control and border vigilance to secure the pilgrimage.

On June 23, National Security Guard commandos carried out a comprehensive drill at the Amarnath Yatra Bus Station in Jammu, where pilgrims are lodged. Alongside the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group, they searched Shastri Niwas with dog squads and reviewed emergency response mechanisms.

“We feel safer with such measures, though the atmosphere is tense,” said a local shopkeeper near the bus station. 

Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has deployed 70,000 additional troops across Jammu and Kashmir. Security forces have already taken control of the 400-km Kathua–Srinagar highway, with personnel stationed along the entire stretch. Vigilance has also been stepped up along the international border with Pakistan in Jammu.

“This deployment is unprecedented, but it is necessary given the sensitivities,” added a Jammu resident. However, the administration has also imposed strict traffic restrictions to regulate movement during the Yatra. Vehicles from Kashmir to Jammu cannot cross the Navyug Tunnel before 11:30 AM, while traffic from Jammu to Kashmir is barred after 3:00 PM.

On the Pahalgam route, vehicles towards Srinagar and Anantnag are permitted only till 5:00 PM, with similar cut-off timings enforced on the Baltal track.

“Pilgrims’ safety must come first, even if it means stricter rules for us,” said Mohammad Farooq, a taxi driver in Anantnag’s south Kashmir. The multi-layered grid; combining drills, highway control, tunnel restrictions, and border vigilance, underscores the administration’s determination to ensure a secure pilgrimage corridor this year.