Military rescues hundreds stranded in Kashmir By Mukhtar Ahmad, CNN January 21, 2012 -- Updated 0943 GMT (1743 HKT) At least 600 passengers have been transported "We will try to airlift as many passengers as we can," officials says The people were stranded after heavy snow blocked a highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar Srinagar, India (CNN) -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) began airlifting Saturday passengers stranded after heavy snowfall caused the blockage of the only highway linking two cities in Kashmir.The IAF flew sorties to evacuate the passengers stranded in the winter and summer capitals of Indian-administered Kashmir. The passengers, who had been waiting for the re-opening of the highway, have been asking to be rescued for the past few days forcing the authorities to seek military help. Kashmir divisional commissioner, Asghar Samoon who has been overseeing the operation said 600 passengers stranded in winter capital Jammu and in summer capital Srinagar were transported by the IAF planes Saturday. "We will try to airlift as many passengers as we can provided the weather permits," Samoon said, adding that those stranded in Srinagar included tourists and students who were in vacationing in Kashmir. The 300-km mountainous highway that connects landlocked Indian-administered Kashmir to the rest of India has been blocked to passenger traffic for several days as it was hit by landslides triggered by heavy snowfall. The highway opened briefly three days ago and authorities allowed only trucks carrying essential commodities to travel on the road. Nearly 3,000 vehicles mostly trucks are stranded at various points on the highway, according to a senior officer of the Border Roads Organization, which maintains the highway. "We are trying to clear the stranded vehicles on the highway," said Brigadier T.P.S.Rawat, chief engineer of the border organization. Kashmir Valley had an intense winter this year and is going through a spell of bitter cold. The local weather office is predicting more snowfall.