Pakistan Army Major who claimed to have captured Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, killed by TTP terrorists

Pakistan Army Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah was killed on Tuesday by an assault by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in South Waziristan's Sargodha. Major Shah made news in 2019 for claiming to have captured Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman. 

 

Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that, the country's security forces had carried out an intelligence-based operation on June 24 based on reports of the presence of militant groups. 

 

The statement also said that the Pak Army engaged the terrorists in their hideout and following that, 11 terrorists were killed and 7 others were injured. 

 

The ISPR also said that during the fire exchange, apart from Shah, another officer identified as Lance Naik Jibran Ullah from Bannu was also killed. The ISPR also praised Major Shah for leading the mission and for his role in countering terrorist activity. The statement also said that clearance operations to eliminate remaining militants in the area were ongoing. 

 

In February 2019, after India launched a precision strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad training facility in retaliation for the Pulwama terror attack, Shah claimed to have captured an Indian pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman. Varthaman’s aircraft was downed after he shot down a Pakistani F-16, and he was briefly captured before being released on March 1.

 

The deaths have come after Pakistan witnessed a recent rise in terrorist activities, especially from the TTP, which the country has dubbed the "Fitna-al-Khawarij." The Pakistani government also directed all state institutions to refer to people who involve themselves in terror activities as 'Khariji' meaning outcast. 

 

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