'IAF has rescued 7,000 people in J&K'

Air Chief Marshal F H Major says the Indian Air Force has so far airlifted more than 7,000 people stranded due to heavy snowfall in J&K.

In of its largest relief operations, the Indian Air Force has so far airlifted more than 7,000 people stranded due to heavy snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Air Chief Marshal F H Major said in Gujarat on Monday.

"We have airlifted more than 7,000 people stranded in Jammu and Kashmir due to heavy snowfall," he told reporters.

Major was in Gujarat for the first time after taking over the top job of IAF to inaugurate Annual Commander's Conference of South Western Air Command (SWAC).

"We have pressed into service IL 76 and AN 32 aircraft. We are flying the planes on Chandigarh-Udhampur-Srinagar route," he said.

Major said this was one of the largest relief operations taken up by the IAF in recent times.

The northern state has witnessed very heavy snowfall in the last week closing the Srinagar-Jammu Highway. About two -dozen people have lost their lives in the state due to heavy snowfall.