Srinagar: Pakistan-based terrorists are planning to target the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, the army said on Friday citing intelligence inputs, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir administration to ask the yatris and tourists to "curtail" their stay in the Valley and leave immediately. Stating that weapons and explosives have been recovered along the yatra route, a top army official said security forces are geared up to foil any attempt to attack the pilgrimage.

The yatra commenced on July 1 and is to conclude on August 15. General Officer Commanding(GoC) of Army's 15 Corps Lt General KJS Dhillon's said searches in the past few days by security forces led to the recovery of a Pakistan-made mine and a huge cache of arms. The Corps commander said Pakistan and its army were desperate to disrupt peace in Kashmir Valley. "Last three to four days, we were getting specific and confirmed intelligence inputs that terrorists led by Pakistan and Pakistan Army are trying to target the Shri Amarnathji yatra which is going on," Dhillon told a joint press conference with state police chief Dilbagh Singh here. J and K is currently under Governor's rule. Dhillon said joint teams of security forces launched searches along the twin routes of Baltal and Pahalgam leading to the holy cave and recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives in the operations that have been going on for the past three days.