The regional government of disputed Jammu and Kashmir has suspended the Machail Yatra pilgrimage to the temple of Goddess Durga, saying that tourists "may curtail their stay" and "return as soon as possible".

The Indian government has confirmed that 10,000 military reinforcements have been sent to the region amid the terror threats, while media reports said that up to 25,000 additional troops had been deployed in Jammu and Kashmir.

The security boost comes on the heels of the authorities suspending a Hindu pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath, which attracts thousands of people every year. India's military head in Kashmir, Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, said a sniper gun and a mine with Pakistani markings had been found on the pilgrimage route.

Tensions between the two nations escalated in February after the Pakistani military downed two Indian warplanes in the disputed Kashmir region following an IAF airstrike against what New Delhi claimed was a Jaish-e-Mohammad militant camp.

India has blamed Islamabad for supporting terrorists and having a "direct hand" in a deadly attack on the Indian paramilitary police force in Jammu and Kashmir, which Pakistan denied.

The Kashmir issue dates back to 1947, when both countries became independent from Britain and later claimed the region belonged to them. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption 'We are scared to stay here' - Tourists react to terror threat alert

Thousands of people, including tourists and Hindu pilgrims, are leaving Indian-administered Kashmir after local officials issued a security alert.

Indian authorities warned of a "terror threat" against Hindu pilgrims heading to the Amarnath shrine.

Militants backed by Pakistan were planning an attack on the annual pilgrimage, officials have said.

India accuses Pakistan of backing militant groups based in Kashmir, something denied by Pakistan.

The 45-day pilgrimage began on 1 July and about 300,000 pilgrims have visited the cave shrine, located high in the Himalayan mountains, according to AP news agency.

Kashmir's government has advised them to leave the area "immediately", causing panic as visitors scramble to organise transport.

Around 20,000 Hindu pilgrims and Indian tourists, as well as more than 200,000 labourers, were in the process of leaving the region, a local government official told Reuters news agency.

"In the interest of safety and security of the tourists and Amarnath Yatris [pilgrims], it is advised that they may curtail their stay in the [Kashmir] valley immediately," Kashmir's home secretary, Shaleen Kabra, said in a statement.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Tourists leave from Amarnath base camp after the pilgrimage was suspended

Security measures, including the deployment of 10,000 extra troops, were implemented by the Indian government ahead of the Hindu pilgrimage.

India has long accused Pakistan of funding armed militants in Kashmir, a disputed territory claimed by both countries.

Militants have targeted Hindu pilgrims in the region before, most recently in 2017, when seven people were killed in an attack.

On Saturday, Britain and Germany warned their citizens against travelling to Kashmir.

Both India and Pakistan claim all of Muslim-majority territory of Kashmir, but control only parts of it.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Two wars, a 60-year dispute – a history of the Kashmir conflict

The countries have been at war four times since the partition following the end of British rule in 1947, and Kashmir, located mostly in the Himalayan mountains, has been a key factor in the conflicts.

Tensions resurfaced in February when Pakistan-based militants killed 40 Indian troops in a suicide attack in Pulwama, provoking military clashes between the countries. </s> SRINAGAR (Reuters) - Thousands of Indian tourists, pilgrims and workers have started leaving the disputed region of Kashmir, leaving for home after a security alert from the local government related to possible militant attacks, two government officials said on Saturday.

Indian security officials said on Friday said they had found evidence of attacks planned by Pakistani military-backed militants on a major Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir.

A mine with Pakistan ordinance markings was among caches of ammunition retrieved following intelligence reports of likely attacks on routes used by devout Hindus who trek to the region’s holy Amarnath cave every year, the officials said.

A local government order issued later effectively called off the pilgrimage, asking the pilgrims and tourists to return home.

On Saturday, one senior local government official in Kashmir said the advisory had caused panic and led to the departure of “thousands” of tourists, pilgrims and laborers.

The official did not give a specific number, but he said most of the 20,000 Hindu pilgrims and Indian tourists and the more than 200,000 laborers were leaving the region.

“The advisory has led to panic among people and the visitors here. Kashmir has seen worst times but we as government officials don’t know what is happening?,” said another local government official.

In a mood of anxiety, people sought to stock up on essentials and there were long queues outside petrol pumps, ATMs and medical shops in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir state.

Around 60 international tourists arrived in Kashmir on Saturday, one of the local government officials said. The Indian advisory had cautioned tourists in general, but did not give any specific advice to foreign nationals.

Britain and Germany issued advisories on Saturday to their citizens discouraging them from traveling to Jammu & Kashmir.

“Travelers staying in Kashmir (especially the Kashmir Valley and the Armanath Yatra Pilgrimage Route) are advised to leave Jammu and Kashmir,” the German ministry of foreign affairs said.

The UK’s foreign office advised against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir with the exceptions of travel by air to Jammu and within the city, and within the region of Ladakh.

Kashmir, claimed by both India and Pakistan, has long been a flashpoint between the two countries. Tensions flared after a vehicle laden with explosives rammed into an Indian police convoy on Feb. 14, killing 40 paramilitary policemen, and leading to aerial clashes between India and Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of funding armed militants, as well as separatist groups in India’s portion of the region that are considered non-violent by international observers.

Islamabad denies the Indian accusation, saying it provides only diplomatic and moral support to the separatist movement.

On Saturday, Pakistan accused India of using illegal cluster bombs in the Kashmir region during shelling along the contested border. India denied those accusations.

The Indian advisory was a disappointment for pilgrims and tourists.

Kashmir touts itself as a “Paradise on Earth”. Dal Lake - a favorite destination centuries ago for Mughal emperors escaping the summer heat of India’s plains - and its famous houseboats, mountains and glaciers is a major attraction.

Prabakar Iyer, 45, had traveled to Srinagar from the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on Thursday with his family for a 10-day holiday, but they left on Friday night.

“I was staying in a houseboat on Dal Lake when the advisory was issued. I fail to understand why we are being asked to leave. Everything is normal here,” he said.

Laborer Manjit Singh, a carpenter from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh who has been working in Kashmir for the last nine years, also left.

“I am not afraid but the government advisory has created panic and my family wants me back ... I will return if the situation improves,” he said. </s> Advisory follows media reports of 25,000 military reinforcements deployed to the region

Indian authorities on Friday told tourists to leave India-Occupied Kashmir because of “terror threats,” as media reports said 25,000 military reinforcements have been sent to the troubled Himalayan region.

The extra troops and other security measures, including a call to stockpile food and fuel, have shaken the Muslim-majority region, which is also claimed by Pakistan. Long lines of cars formed outside petrol stations while residents queued at food stores and bank cash machines to get emergency supplies.

The Jammu and Kashmir state government said that because of “intelligence inputs of terror threats” against a huge Hindu pilgrimage and “the prevailing security situation,” pilgrims and tourists should leave “immediately.”

The military head in India-Occupied Kashmir, Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, alleged a sniper gun and a mine with Pakistani markings had been found on the route of the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands of Hindus each year. “This proves Pakistani attempts to attack the Yatra,” claimed Singh, who has 500,000 forces in Kashmir battling a three-decade insurgency.

India and Pakistan divided Kashmir when they became independent in 1947 and have fought two of three wars since over the territory. The Indian government has admitted that 10,000 extra troops were sent to Kashmir a week ago. Media reports on Friday said a further 25,000 had been ordered there.

As tensions build, near-daily clashes between Indian forces with separatist militants in Kashmir and Pakistan forces across the border go on. Two Indian soldiers were killed this week in cross-border firing from Pakistan-administered Kashmir and a siege of separatist rebels, authorities said.

Two militants accused of staging attacks on Indian government forces were also killed in a gun battle, according to police.

Residents and India-Occupied Kashmir politicians fear the security is a preliminary smokescreen before the Hindu nationalist government carries out a threat to scrap special job and property rights for Kashmiris. Political leaders in the territory have warned that cancelling the constitutionally guaranteed rights could spark unrest.

To add to public nerves, a police order to gather details on every mosque and its leaders was leaked on social media this week. A top police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officers have been “advised” to send their families to safe places and build up food reserves.

Many owners of petrol stations said officials have also asked them to keep vehicle fuel stocks at full capacity. “It’s part of a constantly changing security plan to counter a possible public uprising,” the police official added.

A statement by Jammu and Kashmir state governor Satya Pal Malik that “everything is normal” in the region has not convinced the public. “The anxiety among Kashmiris is real as this government has not hidden its intentions,” said Noor Ahmad Baba, a political commentator and politics professor at the University of Kashmir.

Article 35A of the constitution which prevents Indians from outside the territory buying land or claiming government jobs in Kashmir has long been targeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The article has been challenged in the Supreme Court by right-wing Hindu groups and Modi’s Hindu nationalist party has promised to repeal it even without court backing.

Kashmir has surged back into the spotlight since a deadly militant attack on an Indian convoy in February, perpetrated by a local separatist but claimed by a Pakistan-based group, sparked cross-border air attacks by the nuclear-armed rivals. U.S. President Donald Trump angered India last month when he said that Modi had asked him to mediate in the Kashmir dispute. Trump reaffirmed an offer to mediate on Thursday. Each time India has insisted that the festering dispute can only be resolved bilaterally. </s> Hours after seven Amarnath pilgrims were killed and as many people were injured in a dastardly terrorist attack in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police claimed that the bus driver carrying the yatris had violated rules for the pilgrimage, which prohibits yatra vehicle to ply on a highway after 7 pm.

A police official stated that the militants launched an attack on an armoured car of the police at 8.20 pm and when the police fired back, they fled, firing indiscriminately. A bus carrying pilgrims was on the highway when the incident occurred. “In the firing by militants, seven people, five of them women, were killed, and another seven injured,” the official added.

The bus had come from Sonamarg as the pilgrims were on their way back after visiting the Amarnath shrine. In the wake of fresh attacks, internet services in Kashmir have been blocked.

According to PTI, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called up J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Governor N N Vohra over terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims. Condemning the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he was “pained beyond words on the dastardly attack on peaceful Amarnath Yatris in J&K.”

ALSO READ: Amarnath Yatra attack LIVE: Seven pilgrims killed, many injured as terrorists target yatris’ bus in Anantnag

The attack took place hours after the Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba module with the arrests of two persons, including Sandeep Kumar Sharma alias Adil, a resident of Muzaffarnagar.

Reacting to the incident, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said: “the attack cannot be condemned strongly enough.” Omar wrote on Twitter, “Very sad news. The attack cannot be condemned strongly enough. My sympathies to the families & prayers for the injured.”

Earlier, the Amarnath yatra was suspended from Jammu due to the tense law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley for the death anniversary of militant commander Burhan Wani.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App </s> At least seven Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were killed and many others injured in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday, PTI reported. The terrorists also attacked a police party in Bantigoo area beside targeting a bus carrying the pilgrims.

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The attack took place hours after the Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba module with the arrests of two persons, including Sandeep Kumar Sharma alias Adil, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.

Reacting to the incident, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said: “the attack cannot be condemned strongly enough.” Omar wrote on Twitter, “Very sad news. The attack cannot be condemned strongly enough. My sympathies to the families & prayers for the injured.

He added the attack was feared in spite of recent success by security forces. “The one thing we had all feared this year during the yatra. In spite of recent successes against militants & unprecedented force presence,” he tweeted.

The one thing we had all feared this year during the yatra. In spite of recent successes against militants & unprecedented force presence. https://t.co/NUkScKdGfl — Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) July 10, 2017

Very sad news. The attack cannot be condemned strongly enough. My sympathies to the families & prayers for the injured. — Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) July 10, 2017 Advertising

Earlier, the Amarnath yatra was suspended from Jammu due to law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley under curfew for the death anniversary of militant commander Burhan Wani. Authorities clamped curfew in three towns, including Tral in Kashmir, and imposed restrictions on the movement of people in the rest of the valley.

Read | Amarnath Yatra terror attack: Here’s how political leaders are reacting

Special prayers were held on Sunday near the Pahalgam base camp of the annual Amarnath yatra, marking the commencement of the pilgrimage.

LIVE UPDATES

12:31 am: List of passengers who were travelling in the bus which was attacked. Express photo

12:30 am: NDA Presidential nominee Ramnath Kovind has also condemned the attack. He called it a ‘cowardly act’, as reported by ANI.

12:25 am: Mehbooba Mufti met the injured in Anantnag hospital. While addressing the media, she said: “the bus carrying yatris broke down & they got away from the cordon. Five women among those killed.”

#WATCH: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visits the injured #AmarnathYatra pilgrims in Anantnag hospital. pic.twitter.com/jcGyst45ap — ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2017

12:15 am: Gujarat PM Vijay Rupani has condemned the attack and said, ” Condemn cowardly attack, India will never get bogged down by such acts. Six people from Gujarat’s Valsad have lost their lives in Anantnag terror attack. Our government is in contact with J&K government and military to ensure proper treatment and medical attention for the injured.”

11:48 pm: Statement by police: Today evening terrorists initially attacked a police BP bunker at Botengoo. The fire was retaliated. There was no report of injuries. Thereafter, the terrorists fired on a police naka near Khanabal. The fire was retaliated. A tourist bus was hit bu bullets in which about 18 tourists were injured. Among them, six persons died while rest are being treated. The bus was on way to Jammu from Baltal and was not part of the convoy.

#WATCH: Scenes from the hospital in J&K’s Anantnag where injured #AmarnathYatra pilgrims have been admitted post terror attack pic.twitter.com/Kdn54adES5 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2017

11:45 pm: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has reached Anantnag hospital where the injured have been admitted.

11:28 pm:

Visuals from the hospital where injured #AmarnathYatra pilgrims have been admitted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag post terror attack. pic.twitter.com/lqjL6fetfd — ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2017

11:24 pm: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi has said, “India will never be intimidated by these terrorist cowards. This is a grave and unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again.”

11:20 pm: BJP President Amit Shah has also reacted to the attack. “I have no words to express my deep pain on the killing of innocent pilgrims traveling to the holy shrine of Amarnath. It is a henious act. I pray for the families of those who have lost their lives and wish speedy recovery to the injured. Cowards responsible for this barbaric act will not be spared. I have spoken to the BJP District President and MLC from Anantnag and asked our karyakartas in Kashmir to help the pilgrims in need,” he said.

11:07 pm: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said that this incident should add to our determination to eliminate terrorism.

11:05 pm: Sonia Gandhi expresses sorrow, asks for investigation into lapses in security.

Sonia Gandhi expresses sorrow over the #Anantnag attack targeting #AmarnathYatra pilgrims, asks for investigation into lapses in security. pic.twitter.com/SvsZJ8qx0M — ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2017

10: 55 pm: Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party gives a ‘bandh’ call in Jammu for tomorrow

10: 36 pm Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the attack on yatris. Here are his tweets

I have spoken to the Governor and Chief Minister of J&K and assured all possible assistance required. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2017

India will never get bogged down by such cowardly attacks & the evil designs of hate. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2017

My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the attack in J&K. My prayers with the injured. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2017

Pained beyond words on the dastardly attack on peaceful Amarnath Yatris in J&K. The attack deserves strongest condemnation from everyone. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2017

10:34 pm Home Minister seeks details of the attack from CM and Governor; also directs officials to ensure foolproof security in future. According to PTI, Rajnath Singh has spoken to J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Governor N N Vohra over terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims

10:25 PM Union minister Jeetendra Singh has described the attack on Amarnath yatris as an attack on the resilience of India.

10:18 PM This is the latest picture from the site

10:06 PM Internet services in Kashmir have been blocked, in view of tense situation in the valley.

10:05 PM Police claim the bus driver had violated rules for the pilgrimage, which state that no yatra vehicle should be on a highway after 7 pm.

9:56 PM According to a CRPF statement, the bus was not part of the official yatra and not registered with the Amarnath Shrine Board. The bus was carrying pilgrims back from Baltal after performing the yatra.

9:54 PM Security has been enhanced at Jammu-Srinagar National highway in Udhampur following terror attack on Amarnath Yatra Pilgrims in Anantnag, ANI reported.

9:52 PM The attack on Amarnath yatris is a dark patch on the history of Kashmir, says state minister Naeem Akhtar.

9:49 PM Death toll rises to seven, says police

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9:45 PM Here are the visuals from the site of attack </s> Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and tourists have been asked by the Jammu and Kashmir government to "immediately" cut short their stay in the Kashmir Valley and go back, in an unprecedented advisory amid intelligence inputs of terror threats. Pilgrims and tourists have never before, even at the height of militancy, been urged to leave Kashmir, which has seen a massive build-up of troops over the past week.

"Keeping in view the latest intelligence inputs of terror threats, with specific targeting of the Amarnath Yatra, and given the prevailing security situation in the Kashmir Valley, in the interest of safety and security of the tourists and Amarnath Yatris, it is advised that they may curtail their stay in the valley immediately and take necessary measures to return as soon as possible," the state government's notice said.

The advisory, which appeared to indicate an exceptional security scenario, set off panic in Srinagar, where people rushed to ATMs, petrol stations and medicine stores to stock up. Some waited for hours in queues only to find that fuel was over.

Former state chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah both targeted the central government. Jammu and Kashmir has been under central rule since June last year.

Ms Mufti said it "seems there's an attempt to end constitutional safeguards provided to Kashmir". She added that the advisory has created "chaos and panic."

The advisory for pilgrims and tourists was put out barely half-an-hour after the army and the Jammu and Kashmir police displayed a landmine and a sniper rifle to reporters, saying there were "confirmed intelligence reports" that terrorists backed by the Pakistan army were trying to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra.

The landmine with Pakistan ordnance factory markings and an M-24 American sniper rifle with a telescope had been found along the route of the annual pilgrimage to the Hindu cave shrine around 140 km from Srinagar.

If undiscovered, the mine would have caused huge casualties, the officers said.

"In the last three-four days, there were confirmed intelligence reports that terrorists backed by Pakistan and its army is trying to disrupt Amarnath Yatra and based on that a thorough search was conducted. We had major successes in these searches," said Chinar Corps Commander Lt General KJS Dhillon.

"The searches are still going on. The Pakistan Army is desperate to disrupt peace. This will not be allowed to happen. No one can be allowed to disrupt the peace," he said.

Over the past few days, the movement of central paramilitary personnel who are being airdropped in sorties, has fueled speculation about security threats in Kashmir.

Some 10,000 central troops were ordered to the state about a week ago and reports suggest more have been sent since then. The reports of a surge in troop deployment coincided with inputs of a terror strike around August 15 Independence Day celebrations. On Thursday, the centre reportedly sent over 25,000 more troops to Kashmir, fueling speculation that something major was afoot.

The last time Kashmir saw such heavy presence of troops was after the Pulwama terror attack in February, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates. </s> The Jammu and Kashmir administration has requested the Indian Air Force to airlift the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims out of the Kashmir valley to places such as Jammu, Pathankot or Delhi, from where they can go back home.

“A request has been received from the state administration for the IAF to carry the pilgrims out of the Kashmir valley in their C-17 transport. The first such sortie of the C-17s is likely to fly out of the Kashmir valley in a couple of hours,” government sources told ANI.

The C-17s are already operating to rush in paramilitary troops from different parts of the country for precautionary deployment in the Valley. The C-17 Globemaster can airlift around 230 passengers in one go and takes less time than the Russian Ilyushin-76 to fly between different places.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has issued an advisory to the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims to curtail their pilgrimage and move out of the state as early as possible. Steps have been taken in view of attempts made by the Pakistan-based terrorist groups including the Jaish-e-Mohammed to carry out strikes against the pilgrims and security forces deployed in the state.

The government’s decision to curtail the ongoing Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir came after a series of intelligence inputs were received by security agencies, warning of multiple terror attacks by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad.

These plots were in their final stages of planning before crucial intelligence inputs were received by the Indian security establishment that resulted in quick mobilisation of troops for counter-insurgency operations.

According to latest reports, three JeM operatives were positioned in terror launch pads in the Nezapir sector of PoK, opposite the Indian post of Shahpur sector in Poonch.

The report also suggested that an IED attack was being planned on convoys of security forces along the Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri National highway in the near future. </s> Srinagar: Tourists and Amarnath Yatra pilgrims started leaving the Kashmir Valley on Saturday following the state government's advisory asking them to cut short their stay even as Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said there is no need to panic. The advisory to leave had cited security concerns and intelligence inputs about the possibility of terror attacks.

Amid rumours of plans to repeal Article 370 and 35A, which allow the state special status and privileges, Malik said that the administration has no knowledge of any changes to constitutional provisions.

Despite the Governor's assurance, the Congress and the National Conference indicated that they would seek clarifications from the Centre when Parliament meets again on Monday. NC leader Omar Abdullah said the party needed the assurance as the Governor is not the final word on J&K.;

Malik told a delegation led by Abdullah that a pure security measure is being mixed up with issues with no connection. “That is the cause of the panic," said the Raj Bhavan in a statement.

"There were credible inputs which were available to the security agencies regarding terrorist attacks on the Amarnath Yatra. There has been intensified shelling on the LoC by Pakistan, which was responded to effectively by the Army," said Malik.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that no unilateral decision is taken at any level that impinges upon the current constitutional arrangement and complexion of the state.

Abdullah said he has asked party MPs to move a motion in Parliament on Monday seeking a statement from the Union government on the situation that has developed in the state over the past few weeks.

The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) also expressed concern.

“No one knows what is happening. There is uncertainty. We are seeing this type of situation for the first time and it has raised questions. We want the Centre as well as the state government to clarify what is going on," said JKPCC chief GA Mir.

Mir said the deployment of additional forces, orders by different departments, and the advisory asking tourists and pilgrims to leave have created panic.

"All this leads to speculation that something is happening behind the curtain,” he added.

Condemning the government's decision to curtail the Amarnath Yatra, the Congress also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in Parliament on the current situation and expressed apprehensions about a "misadventure" by the Union Home Ministry.

Senior party leader and former home minister P Chidambaram cautioned the Home Ministry against any misadventure in the state related to Articles 35A and 370.

Referring to the advisory, former chief minister of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Amarnath yatra has never been curtailed in the history of the country, not even in 2000 when the biggest attack on pilgrims left over 30 people dead.

"This is unprecedented," he said.

Alleging that the BJP government at the Centre is "spoiling the image" of J&K; in front of the country, he said it is trying to show that outsiders in the state are not safe even though the local people there are completely standing with the tourists and Amarnath pilgrims.

He also accused the BJP of doing politics over the issue.

"Parliament is in session. The PM should give a statement in both houses of Parliament. It is his duty," said Azad.

Replying to a question on whether the Home Ministry could be working on scrapping Article 35A, Chidambaram said, "I don't wish to anticipate what misadventure this government is planning to do in Kashmir. Most of the constitutional issues involving Kashmir are pending in the Supreme Court. It's clear to me, they are planning a misadventure in Kashmir and I warn them not to do so."

Senior party leader Karan Singh said everybody is in a state of shock after the government's advisory curtailing the Amarnath Yatra. An atmosphere of fear and apprehension has gripped the state, he said.

Tourists affected

Tourism Kashmir Srinagar Director Nissar Wani said the state tourism department sent buses on Friday, immediately after the advisory was issued, to the tourist destinations to bring the visitors back to Srinagar. Wani said about 20,000 tourists were in Kashmir on Friday.

The United Kingdom and Germany issued advisories on Saturday warning their citizens from travelling to J&K.;

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday advised airlines to keep fares from Srinagar in check as Amarnath pilgrims and tourists prepared to leave the Valley.

According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), 6,216 passengers reported at the Srinagar International Airport on Saturday to travel out of the valley. Out of this, 5,829 passengers travelled by 32 scheduled flights. The remaining 387 passengers were accommodated in four Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft and flown to various destination like Jammu, Pathankot and Hindon.

The Railways also announced that no cancellation charge will be taken from passengers till Tuesday morning if they cancel reserved tickets booked for their journey originating from Jammu, Katra and Uddhampur stations, sources in the ministry said.​

(With inputs from agencies)

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Indian authorities issue evacuation orders for thousands of people, including tourists and Hindu pilgrims heading to the Amarnath Temple for yatra (which has been cancelled) to immediately leave Jammu and Kashmir because of security alerts about possible militant attacks. Also, the pilgrimage to Machel Mata for yatra, which also began on 1 July, has been suspended.