IAF airlifts stranded passengers to Leh from Srinagar & Jammu

Jammu: As the highway (NH-1D) connecting Ladakh with rest of the country via Kashmir Valley continues to remain shut for vehicular traffic due to snow accumulation along the 3,528 metre-high Zoji La mountains pass, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday operated two sorties of its IL-76 transport aircraft to airlift hundreds of stranded passengers to Leh from Srinagar and Jammu.

An official spokesman said that 455 passengers were airlifted to Leh from Srinagar and Jammu in two sorties of the IL-76 whereas AN-32 Kargil Courier airlift flew 53 passengers from Srinagar to Kargil and 18 from Kargil to Srinagar.

“The passengers who availed the services expressed their gratitude to CEC LAHDC Kargil, Member of Parliament Ladakh, Deputy Commissioner Kargil, Ministry of Defence, Airports Authority of India, Indian Air Force, Air India, AIASL, CISF, CRPF, Ladakh Police and other agencies associated, including the Chief Coordinator, Liaison Officers, Deputy Coordinator, Assistant Coordinators, Assistant Liaison Officers, and staff of Deputy Commissioner Kargil,” the spokesman Aamir Ali said.