NEW DELHI: In a massive security build-up for this year’s 38-day Amarnath Yatra, nearly 50,000 CRPF personnel will be deployed alongside J&K Police, supported by surveillance drones, bomb disposal squads, and canine units to ensure a safe pilgrimage. This marks the highest-ever deployment of CRPF troops for the annual pilgrimage, with forces spread across both designated routes. Road opening parties will conduct intensive sweeps for IEDs, while Quick Action Teams (QATs) will be stationed at key vantage points for rapid response. All convoys will be heavily guarded and equipped with satellite phones and signal jammers. Approach roads to the National Highway will be sealed off during convoy movement to ensure a secure passage. The heightened vigilance follows the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 25 tourists and a local resident. The attack triggered Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces launched retaliatory strikes on terror bases across the border. In response to Pakistani attempts to target civilian and military sites, India carried out precision strikes on key military targets in Pakistan. Security this year will also include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for pilgrims and convoy vehicles to enable real-time tracking. Drone surveillance will monitor for suspicious activity, with QATs on standby to neutralize any emerging threats. The yatra, shorter than last year’s 52-day schedule, is being treated as a high-risk event, with authorities leaving little to chance amid heightened cross-border tensions.