Jammu, Aug 7 (IANS) A suspicious vehicle, which jumped a security barricade in J&K’s Ramban and fled despite warning shots fired by the security forces, raising alarm on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway being used by Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, has been found, but there was no sign of its occupants, officials said.
A search operation is now going on by joint teams of security forces to trace the occupants of the suspicious vehicle.
After the vehicle jumped the security barricade at Chanderkote, it fled towards Nashri on the highway despite warning shots fired by the security personnel.
“The vehicle did not stop despite repeated signals. Police personnel fired 3 rounds upon the vehicle as a precautionary measure,” an official said.
Officials said the vehicle has now been found, but the occupants managed to flee from the spot. A joint search by police, CRPF and Army is underway to trace them.
The vehicle, a Mahindra Scorpio SUV (registration number JK02AK-1743), breached a security checkpoint at Chanderkote in Ramban district early on Friday and was later abandoned by its occupants near Dalwas.
The incident occurred around 3.30 a.m., and the abandoned vehicle was found this afternoon.
Bovine smuggling is now the primary suspected motive behind the security breach. Investigators recovered animal dung inside the abandoned vehicle, suggesting it was being used to transport cattle illegally.
The incident has caused a high-security alert across the district due to its timing during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.
Three occupants are believed to have been inside the vehicle. They abandoned the SUV and fled into a nearby forest to evade capture, official sources said.
Meanwhile, the Amarnath yatra resumed from Jammu on Thursday after remaining suspended for a day amid heightened security arrangements on the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. A batch of 1,801 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp early Thursday for the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir.
Officials said the 28th batch left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at around 2:45 a.m. for the Baltal base camp under tight security. However, no convoy was dispatched along the Pahalgam route.
The latest batch comprised 1,347 men, 351 women, 89 sadhus and 14 sadhvis, who travelled in 74 vehicles.
More than 4.71 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine so far.
The 57-day Yatra will conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.
–IANS
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