Pakistan Army Major Who Claimed Abhinandan Varthaman's Capture Killed In Encounter With TTP
Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah had shot to limelight in 2019 after claiming credit for the capture of IAF Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman during an aerial dogfight
Major Moiz Abbas Shah, the Pakistani officer who had claimed to have captured Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, was killed on Tuesday in a major assault by the terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The attacks on the Pakistani Army in South Waziristan's Sargodha and Kurram areas come at a time when Pakistan is facing growing unrest with terrorists in its own territory, despite its history of supporting terror groups.
According to sources, the TTP's attacks resulted in the deaths of 14 Pakistani personnel, including Major Shah. Meanwhile, some pro-Pakistan social media accounts have claimed that six personnel, including Shah, were killed in the Sargodha clash.
According to a report by Dawn, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that Pakistani security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on June 24, 2025, in Sararogha following reports of the presence of militants.
The statement claimed that during the operation, troops targeted the militant hideout, killing 11 individuals and injuring seven others.
The ISPR confirmed that Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, 37, from Chakwal, and Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, 27, from Bannu, were killed in the exchange of fire. Major Moiz, who was leading the mission, was praised for his bravery and his role in multiple operations against the group. The statement added that clearance operations were ongoing to eliminate any remaining militants in the area.
The Dawn reported that in July 2024, the Pakistani government officially labeled the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna-al-Khawarij Khariji —a term meaning outcast.
What Brought Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah To Limelight In 2019
Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah rose to attention in 2019 after claiming credit for capturing Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman during an aerial dogfight following Indian strikes on terror bases in Balakot. The capture followed a fierce aerial clash on February 27, during which Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison was shot down after he brought down a Pakistani F-16. He was later returned to India by Pakistan on the night of March 1, 2019.
The dogfight occurred a day after Indian Air Force jets carried out an airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training facility in Balakot. The strike came in response to the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. On February 27, Pakistan launched a counteroffensive, attempting to strike Indian military installations in response to the Balakot airstrike.
Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
NATO chief backs ‘Daddy' Donald Trump's use of ‘f' word for Israel, Iran
Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-origin NYC mayoral candidate, defeated Andrew Cuomo with 43.5% of votes. With a net worth of $2-3 million, he's a state lawmaker, former rapper, and son of Mira Nair, aiming to become the youngest and first Muslim NYC mayor.
India Today
33 minutes ago
- India Today
Lakshmi Manchu says art and politics should be kept separate amid Sardaar Ji 3 row
Actor Lakshmi Manchu recently voiced her opposition to the backlash on the casting of Pakistani actors in Indian cinema and emphasised that art should not be entangled with politics. This comes amid backlash over two recent Bollywood films, including 'Abir Gulaal' and 'Sardaar Ji 3.'In a conversation with Hindustan Times, the actor was asked about her opinion on calls to ban such films released in India. She replied, 'Don't politicise art. Go after the people who are causing the trouble. You can't just throw a blanket ban on everybody and say no (you can't work with them). Where is our growth? Where is our warmth? As Indians, we welcomed all these people with open hearts.'advertisementCurrently, Diljit Dosanjh's film is under fire for sharing the screen with Pakistani actor Hania Aamir. Earlier, in March, Vaani Kapoor was under fire for featuring alongside Fawad Khan in 'Abir Gulaal'. Manchu further added, 'Where are our hearts now? Politics is one way, but why are cattle herding and blanketing? Why are they going after an actor? What threat are they to India, and banning their Instagram? Like how insecure are you? Rather than a divide and rule policy, we need to find ways around how we can find common ground and fight together against the common enemy.'Meanwhile, the actor recently featured in Prime Video's latest reality show, 'The Traitors' which is hosted by Karan Johar.- EndsMust Watch
The Print
34 minutes ago
- The Print
Congress must accept that Emergency was huge mistake and move on: Akbar
Asked whether the Grand Old Party of Indian politics should still live with 'the guilt', Akbar said, 'I think the Congress must find a way to accept that it was a huge mistake, an assault on the nation, and move on. Panaji, Jun 25 (PTI) Former Union minister M J Akbar on Wednesday said the Congress must 'find a way to accept' that Emergency was a huge mistake, and move on. 'After all, many political parties in India have found ways to correct themselves. Why can't the Congress?' the veteran journalist said, talking to PTI in Goa. He also underlined the 'maturity' of the Indian voters who brought Indira Gandhi back to power in 1980 after inflicting a rout on her in 1977. 'When they were given the chance in 1980 to vote again because the Janata Party experiment had collapsed, they brought back a stable government. They did not want instability. History is often a story of mistakes as much as it is of successes. So, the Congress must accept it and move forward,' said Akbar. Emergency was a period when arbitrary political power and dictatorship massacred the values and principles of Indian democracy, he said, adding, 'But within that dark experience, India also found inspiration to rediscover itself.' Recalling those days when he was a 24-year-old journalist, Akbar said Emergency, to begin with, was an unprecedented shock on an individual, institutional and the national level. 'We took democracy for granted. We could not believe that anyone could possibly interfere with the fulcrum as well as the foundational ideology of our nation. I think the shock took time to register,' he said. The first reactions from newspapers were of leaving blank spaces where the editorial was meant to be, Akbar said. 'Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the Emergency was that after two or three weeks, there was a normalization of behavior, as if this would continue, and this was what India was going to become,' the former minister of state for External Affairs said. The 'perpetrators of the Emergency', prime minister Indira Gandhi and her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, began to talk of the next 20 years as if this was the new normal, he said. 'But we discovered that India may have become silent, but India was never supine. It was the people of India who actually fought against the Emergency.' Asked about the Emergency from current perspective, he said, 'Now, from the current perspective, if anyone were to try to repeat the Emergency today, it wouldn't be possible….No one could get away with it. That is the key lesson from 1975 to 77. 'Everyone now understands that the strength of India lies in its commitment to democratic principles,' he said, adding that anyone who tries to challenge India's freedom for personal power will be discarded by history. PTI RPS KRK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
