Fresh batch of 558 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath

Jammu: Amid tight security, a batch of 558 pilgrims on Thursday left for the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas.

Over 3 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine during this year's pilgrimage.

The batch of 432 men, 74 women, two children and 50 sadhus left in a motorcade of 16 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp here at 4.55 AM, a police official said.

Amid tight security arrangements made by CRPF, the convoy has already crossed Patnitop on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

With Thursday's batch, as many as 44,606 pilgrims have so far left from the Jammu base camp for the shrine.