EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 2: The Indian Air Force has so far airlifted a record number of 5,745 passengers between Kargil and Srinagar/Jammu since closure of Zojila pass. 5260 passengers were airlifted in 75 sorties of AN-32 Kargil courier and 5 sorties of IL-76 aircraft between Kargil and 465 passengers between Padum (Zanaskar) and Kargil/Leh, Twenty serious patients were also airlifted from various locations in Cheetah helicopters. Besides IAF also airlifted stranded passengers between Kupwara-Tangdhar and Bandipora-Gurez in Mi-17 & ALH helicopters.
The last flight of Kargil courier operated today between Srinagar and Kargil, as the Srinagar-Leh road was thrown open for vehicular traffic by GoC 15 Corps, Lt General SA Hasnain and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon in presence of Chief Engineer Beacon Project Brigadier TPS Rawat and other participants.
The passengers have appreciated Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Transport Minister, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Chief Executive Counsellor, LAHDC Kargil, Kachu Ahmed Ali Khan, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, Div Com Jammu Dr Pawan Kotwal, AOC, IAF, J&K Udhampur, AVM PS Gill (AVSM,VSM), AOC J&K, Udhampur, Group Captain Shankar Srivastava (Air-2), Flight Lt. Deepika Mishra, MLA Gurez & MLA Zanskar, Director/Commissioner, Civil Aviation J&K, S. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil M. Raju, Wing Commander Mishra, Wing Commander Bhatia, AOC Srinagar, Uppkar Singh, AOC Leh, IAF Dett. Commander Kargil, Executive Counsellor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Dev Council (LAHDC) Kargil, Tashi Punchok, Officers of Ministry of Defence especially, Director (Air) Anjali Singh and Officers of Western Air Command including Group Captain Suri.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir announced that a felicitation ceremony would be held in the coming days, to honour the officers who facilitated the airlift of the stranded passengers in IAF flights, so as to encourage them.
Those who played a prominent role in facilitating the flights include Chief Coordinator, Aamir Ali, Liaison Officers Gulzar Hussain, Akbar Ali, Ali Rehmat, Mohammed Yusuf, Sheikh Ali, Ahsan Ali, Abdul Aziz and Aga Tuha. Besides, Director Airport Authority Srinagar & Jammu, SSP Anti-hijacking Jammu & Srinagar airports, Manager SRTC Asgar Ali, CMO Srinagar, Airport Manager Air India Mohammed Iqbal Dar and especially the IAF staff posted at IAF ‘Ops’ Room Srinagar, Jammu and Udhampur played a crucial role in facilitating the services.
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