260 stranded passengers airlifted in 'Kargil courier' between J&K and Ladakh

The Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted as many as 260 stranded passengers between the twin union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh on Monday, an official said. With this, a total of 1,551 passengers were airlifted so far in AN-32 aircraft, also known as Kargil courier, since the launch of the service on January 22 following closure of the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway owing to heavy snowfall, the official said.

The Kargil courier service operates three days a week between Jammu and Srinagar, and twice a week between Srinagar and Kargil to facilitate the stranded passengers.

"A total of 260 passengers were airlifted in Kargil courier on Monday. While 113 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar to Kargil and another 93 from Jammu to Kargil, 38 were airlifted from Kargil to Srinagar and 16 others from Kargil to Jammu in two separate aircrafts," the official said.