The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday  airlifted 313 people of Kargil district who were stranded at Leh and Srinagar as the AN32 courier service to Kargil could not operate for the last two weeks due to inclement weather

"As many as 171 passengers were airlifted from Leh to Srinagar while 142 were flown from Srinagar to Leh in an IL-76 aircraft of the IAF," an official spokesman said.

The state government had requisitioned the aircraft from IAF as the Kargil Courier Service, which is operated during the winter months when the road to Ladakh is closed, could not be operated due to heavy snowfall and inclement weather in Kashmir and Kargil.

The passengers were taken to the Leh airport from Kargil in State Road Transport Corporation buses as the IL-76 aircraft cannot land at Kargil airport, the spokesman said.