Parvaz wani cni
BOBIYA (J&K): (cni) Undeterred by extreme heat, humidity, and the threat of enemy mischief, women border guards donned in battle fatigues and armed with AK rifles are keeping a close watch along the International Border (IB) in the Jammu frontier, which has been put on high alert ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra starting July 3.

The 38-day-long Yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3 from the twin routes — the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district — leading to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath.

The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar base camp a day before the Yatra begins.(cni)