Jammu, July 6 -- A fresh batch of over 6,700 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here early Sunday for the Amarnath shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas under tight security, officials said.

The batch, including 1,310 women and 22 children, left the Jammu base camp in two separate convoys at 3 am and 3.40 am, the officials said.

This was the fourth batch of pilgrims leaving Jammu for Kashmir since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the yatra from Jammu.

With this, a total of 20,220 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley so far.

More than 26,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine during the first two days of the annual 57-day Amarnath Yatra, which commenced on ...