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The Indian Air Force (IAF) began a courier service for Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region as the first flight took off from Kargil to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir with 21 passengers on board, an official spokesman said.
The government has started the courier flights to Kargil to help the stranded passengers as Ladakh region remains cut off from the rest of the state due to heavy snowfall which blocks the road link from Srinagar to Kargil and Leh.
The first Air Force AN-32 Kargil courier plane operated between Kargil and Srinagar and 21 passengers were airlifted to Srinagar. On return, the flight will carry 19 passengers from Srinagar to Kargil, the spokesman said.
The Srinagar-Kargil road has been officially closed for vehicular traffic by the state government after snowfall at Zojila pass snapped the ground link.The road remains closed till end of May as the Zojila pass experiences heavy snowfall.
The courier service will operate thrice a week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday between Srinagar and Kargil and a weekly flight on Tuesday will also operate between Kargil and Jammu, the spokesman said.