Mission Rescue mode on: IAF airlifts 700 stranded people in J&K due to heavy snowfall

Srinagar, February 12: In a quest to protect the citizens of the country, the armed forces have been ever ready to help the masses. In a similar context, the Indian Armed Force, airlifted around 700 stranded people which included students, locals and tourists in Jammu and Kashmir. Dwelling under the chilling blanket, Jammu and Kashmir is reeling under heavy snowfall interrupting traveling for people.

For the first time, two C-17 Aircraft airlifted 707 passengers simultaneously from the Jammu Air Force Station. With this, the IAF has airlifted 1,431 people in the past four days. Thousands of people were left stranded in Jammu following the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, in the wake of heavy snowfall on Wednesday.

 

The Indian Air Force launched the special sorties of C17 Globemaster and came into assistance of GATE aspirants, the locals and tourists who were stuck in the twin capitals due to the closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway. An official of the defence force said a total of 319 students appearing in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) on February 10 onwards were airlifted from Srinagar airport to Jammu airport on Friday and Saturday. While 179 students were airlifted from Srinagar to Jammu, 180 civilians struck in Jammu were airlifted to Srinagar on Friday.

Similarly, 179 persons comprising of 140 students and 39 locals and tourists were airlifted to Srinagar to Jammu on Saturday. "The students were specially relieved by this humanitarian concern of the armed forces and conveyed their special thanks to them for this timely effort which in long way will shape up their career in times to come," the spokesman said.

The civilians and stranded tourists were also very appreciative and thankful of the humanitarian activities of the armed forces along with guarding the frontiers at all times.