Srinagar: Vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims were stopped at different places for security reasons on the 300-km-long national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, following killing of three militants in an encounter early on Sunday morning by government forces.

No Amarnath pilgrim vehicle was allowed to move towards Jammu from base camps for security reasons, official sources said.

They said pilgrims, who had darshan and returned to Baltal base camp, were not allowed to move towards Jammu for security reasons.

The pilgrims are now staying in Manigam base camp in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal, they said, adding that the pilgrims will be allowed to move from the base camp only after receiving green signal from Kulgam police.

Pilgrims, who were scheduled to leave Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Jammu, were stopped there, the sources added.

Meanwhile, pilgrims, who left Jammu for Kashmir, were also stopped on the highway.
Pilgrims, who were going to Baltal base camp for undertaking the pilgrimage, were stopped at Shaitan Nallah.

Similarly, those, who were scheduled to reach Nunwan Pahalgam base camp from Jammu, were stopped at Ramban, they added.

Three militants were killed in an encounter by security forces at Khudwani, one km from main Srinagar-Jammu highway in Kulgam.