The annual Amarnath Yatra began today amid tight security, with pilgrims from both Baltal and Pahalgam base camps starting their journey for the 3880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Amidst chants of 'Bam Bam Bole', the first batch of pilgrims started on the arduous 45-km trek from traditional Pahalgam route, and 13-km from Baltal simultaneously, in the wee hours today, official sources said. Heightened security measures have been put in place for the 55-day Yatra following intelligence inputs that militants might attempt to target the pilgrimage, sources said.

State police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed all along the twin routes to ensure safety and security of the pilgrims, they said. For the first time, the access control agencies are carrying out thorough checks of the pilgrims and their documentation before allowing them to proceed.