The Dawar Battalion of Snow Leopard Brigade airlifted more than 160 stranded civilians from Gurez on March 15. The complete Gurez Valley is presently cut off from Kashmir since early November last year. The clearing of snow at Razdan Pass and on the road connecting Bandipora to Kanzalwan has already commenced and is likely to finish by April end.

​Earlier on March 14, Dawar Garrison of the Indian Army received a requisition from the civil administration for the evacuation of civilians stranded in winter cut off Gurez and Bandipora. In view of the upcoming semester exams of graduation and higher secondary, the locals were anxious to return back to Gurez at the earliest. A large number of students pursuing higher studies in different parts of the country also wanted to move out to join their colleges. The additional civil medical staff was also inducted in Gurez with the help of the Indian Army to boost the preparations to fight COVID-19.