JAMMU: The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried 348 passengers in its aircraft between Ladakh and the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in view of the closure of the Srinagar-Leh national highway owing to heavy snowfall, an official said.

The IAF's AN-32 aircraft, also known as Kargil Courier, was operated to airlift 171 passengers between Jammu and Kargil and 177 more between Srinagar and Kargil, officials said.

He said 152 passengers were airlifted from Jammu to Kargil and 19 from Kargil to Jammu, while 141 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar to Kargil and 36 from Kargil to Srinagar.

The IAF operates C-17, C-130 and AN-32 aircraft regularly to airlift stranded passengers between Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in view of the closure of the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway since January owing to heavy snowfall.