Over 100 stranded passengers airlifted between J&K and Ladakh

As many as 102 stranded passengers were airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) between the twin Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Saturday, an official said. Two AN-32 aircraft of the IAF, also known as the Kargil Courier, operated and airlifted a total of 50 passengers between Jammu and Kargil and 52 between Srinagar and Kargil in different sorties, chief coordinator for the service Aamir Ali said.

He said 39 passengers were airlifted from Jammu to Kargil and 11 from Kargil to Jammu, while 40 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar to Kargil and 12 from Kargil to Srinagar.

The IAF operates its C-17, C-130 and AN-32 aircraft regularly to airlift passengers stranded between Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in view of the closure of the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway since January owing to heavy snowfall.