Amid tight security, third batch of 2,163 pilgrims on Thursday left the Jammu base camp for 13,500-feet high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas.

The pilgrims comprising 1,340 men, 529 women, 97 children and 197 sadhus left in a cavalcade of 99 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at around 0525 hours for Amarnath, police said.

With Thursday’s batch, as many as 6,444 pilgrims have left Jammu for their onward journey to cave shrine of Amarnath.