JAMMU: Amid a multi-tier security cover, more than 8,600 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu early Monday to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in the Himalayas, officials said.

More than 70,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine located at a height of 3,880 metres since the start of the 38-day yatra, which commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in the Anantnag district and Baltal in the Ganderbal district on July 3.

The sixth batch of 8,605 pilgrims — 6,486 men, 1,826 women, 42 children, and 251 sadhus and sadhvis — left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 372 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements at 3.30 am and 4.25 am, the officials said.