Pakistan Major who 'nabbed' Abhinandan killed

NEW DELHI: In a big setback for the ISI and Pakistan army , a Major rank officer and over a dozen other security personnel were killed in separate ambush attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Tuesday. The slain Major, Moiz Abbas , from the 6 CDO battalion (SSG), had claimed he had captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019.

Abbas was honorarily promoted to the rank of Major for his act. While Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended his funeral prayers on Wednesday, President Asif Zardari and PM Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences and praised him for fighting against the operatives of ‘Fitna-Al-Khwarij’, a term used by Pakistan for referring to TTP fighters.

On Feb 27, 2019, Varthaman, then a Wing Commander, had downed an enemy jet (F-16) during an aerial combat with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Balakot airstrikes a day before. His own jet was subsequently hit, prompting an ejection and landing on enemy soil. He was held captive for three days and released by Pakistan on March 1. He was later conferred with the Vir Chakra, India's thirdhighest war-time gallantry medal, and promoted to the rank of Group Captain.

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Abbas (37) was an SSG commando from Chakwal. He was seen in an interview to the Pakistani media describing Varthaman’s capture and rescue from angry civilians.

Confirming Abbas’s death, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that Abbas led his troops from the front. “He fought gallantly and paid the ultimate sacrifice along with another brave son of the soil, Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, during the intense fire exchange,” it said. The ISPR also claimed that 11 TTP fighters were killed and called them “India-sponsored terrorists”, their usual ploy to avoid naming Afghanistan or Taliban.

Sources said the TTP fighters targeted Pakistan army personnel in two separate ambushes in Kurram and Sararogha in south Waziristan. While eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and 10 injured in Kurram, at least six soldiers were killed in South Waziristan. TTP operatives also destroyed army vehicles and seized weapons before leaving.

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In a statement issued on its Telegram account, TTP said videos of both attacks would be released soon. ISPR, however, said, “During the operation, our troops effectively engaged the Khwarij location and 11 Indian-sponsored Khwarij were killed and seven got injured by the security forces.”