J&K Police conduct CASO in RS Pura ahead of Amarnath Yatra 2026
Synopsis
With the Amarnath Yatra 2026 approaching, Jammu Police — backed by BSF and CISF — swept through gangster and drug-peddler residences in RS Pura on 24 June, while Anantnag activated 'Project Hawk Eye' combining drones, CCTV, and commandos on the Yatra route. The twin moves signal the most technology-intensive Yatra security grid yet.
Key Takeaways
Jammu Police , BSF 165 Battalion , and CISF 262 Battalion jointly conducted a CASO in R.S.
Pura on 24 June 2026 between 5 pm and 7.30 pm IST .
Searches covered Chakroi area , Village Joura Farm , an abandoned structure, a nallah area, and Baspur Bangla — targeting residences of known criminals and drug peddlers.
No contraband, suspicious persons, or incriminating material was recovered; No Damage Certificates were issued to all residents.
Anantnag Police has launched 'Project Hawk Eye' — deploying drones, CCTV cameras, and specially trained commandos along the Yatra route.
Authorities confirmed that similar CASOs will continue regularly ahead of SANJY-2026 .
Jammu Police, in a coordinated pre-Yatra security push, conducted a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the R.S. Pura area of Jammu district on 24 June 2026, targeting residences of known gangsters and drug peddlers ahead of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 (SANJY-2026). The operation, carried out between 5 pm and 7.30 pm IST, is part of a broader security sweep to neutralise anti-social elements before the high-profile pilgrimage season begins.
Operation Details
The CASO was jointly executed by personnel of Police Station R.S. Pura, the 165 Battalion Border Security Force (BSF), and the CISF 262 Battalion. Search teams covered multiple locations in the Chakroi area, including residences of individuals with prior criminal records, houses in Village Joura Farm, an abandoned structure in the village, and a nearby ditch and nallah area. A parallel operation was simultaneously conducted in the Baspur Bangla area.
All searches were carried out in the presence of family members and occupants, with authorities strictly adhering to prescribed legal procedures. No suspicious persons, contraband substances, incriminating material, or objectionable articles were recovered. The operation concluded peacefully, and No Damage Certificates were obtained from residents of all searched premises.
Why It Matters
The CASO comes as security agencies ramp up vigilance ahead of SANJY-2026, one of India's largest annual pilgrimages, which draws hundreds of thousands of devotees to the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir. Pre-Yatra CASOs in sensitive border areas such as R.S. Pura — which lies close to the International Border with Pakistan — are a standard but critical component of the security grid, aimed at pre-empting smuggling, arms trafficking, and criminal activity that could disrupt the pilgrimage.
Notably, this is not an isolated operation. Police have signalled that such searches will continue at regular intervals to strengthen the overall security environment and build public confidence in the run-up to the Yatra.
Project Hawk Eye in Anantnag
Separately, police in Anantnag district have activated a specialised security framework called 'Project Hawk Eye' to secure the Yatra route. The project deploys drones, CCTV cameras, advanced surveillance equipment, and specially trained commandos positioned at vantage posts along the pilgrimage corridor. The technology-linked arrangement represents a significant upgrade in the real-time monitoring capability for SANJY-2026.
What Comes Next
Authorities have confirmed that cordon and search operations will continue regularly across sensitive jurisdictions in Jammu and Kashmir as the Yatra date approaches. The multi-agency coordination — spanning Jammu Police, BSF, and CISF — reflects the scale of the security architecture being assembled for SANJY-2026, with both ground-level searches and aerial surveillance now forming twin pillars of the preparedness strategy.
Point of View
But the activation of 'Project Hawk Eye' in Anantnag signals a qualitative shift — from reactive patrolling to technology-driven, real-time surveillance. The question is whether the hardware investment translates into sustained intelligence capacity beyond the Yatra window, or whether it remains a seasonal deployment. Given the persistent threat environment in the valley, the more meaningful metric is not how many houses were searched, but whether actionable intelligence networks are being built alongside the optics of visible security.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jammu Police conduct a CASO in RS Pura on 24 June 2026?
Jammu Police carried out the cordon and search operation in R.S. Pura to pre-empt criminal and anti-social activity ahead of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 (SANJY-2026). The operation targeted residences of known gangsters and drug peddlers in a sensitive border-adjacent area.
What is Project Hawk Eye in Anantnag?
Project Hawk Eye is a specialised, technology-linked security framework activated by Anantnag Police ahead of SANJY-2026. It combines drones, CCTV cameras, advanced surveillance equipment, and specially trained commandos stationed at vantage points along the Yatra route to enable real-time monitoring.
Was anything seized during the RS Pura CASO?
No. Authorities reported that no suspicious persons, contraband substances, incriminating material, or objectionable articles were found during the operation. No Damage Certificates were issued to the occupants of all searched premises.
Which agencies participated in the RS Pura cordon and search operation?
The CASO was conducted jointly by Police Station R.S. Pura, the 165 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF), and the CISF 262 Battalion, reflecting multi-agency coordination in the Jammu border belt.
