111 stranded passengers airlifted between J&K and Ladakh: IAF

The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried 111 passengers in its aircraft between Ladakh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in view of the closure of the Srinagar-Leh national highway owing to heavy snowfall, an official said.

The IAF's AN-32 aircraft, also known as Kargil Courier, was operated to airlift 53 passengers between Jammu and Kargil and 58 more between Srinagar and Kargil, chief coordinator for the service Aamir Ali said.

He said 44 passengers were airlifted from Jammu to Kargil and nine from Kargil to Jammu, while 46 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar to Kargil and 12 from Kargil to Srinagar.

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