Latest news with #Indian
Mint
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Pakistan Army Major killed in gun battle with Taliban militants – Who was Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah?
Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, a Pakistan Army officer, was killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) against Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on 24 June 2025, according to Pakistani news media reports. Major Moiz had previously been associated with the 2019 incident involving the capture of Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, according to multiple reports in 2019. Alongside Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, Major Moiz was killed in a gunbattle with Taliban militants that resulted in the elimination of 11 terrorists, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The operation targeted militants of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Dawn reported. Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, calling them 'true heroes' who sacrificed their lives to secure the nation and thwart terrorist plans. According to Dawn, Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a militant Islamist group formed in 2007, primarily operating in Pakistan's tribal areas. It seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government and impose its strict interpretation of Sharia law. The TTP has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and clashes with Pakistani security forces, and it is designated as a banned organisation by the Pakistani government. Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah was a Pakistan Army officer from Chakwal who served in the elite Special Service Group (SSG). He gained public attention for his role in the 2019 India-Pakistan conflict, during which he claimed to have captured Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after his MiG-21 was shot down over Pakistani territory. On 24 June 2025, Major Moiz was killed during an intelligence-based operation against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier in June, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had accused India of activating its 'assets' to intensify terrorist attacks in Pakistan, presenting 'irrefutable evidence' of Indian state-sponsored terrorism, directed by the Indian military personnel, according to Dawn report. 'Post-Pahalgam (terror attack), because of the designs of terrorism that they have, they tasked all their assets, the terrorists operating in Balochistan, and we have credible intelligence for that, the Fitna-al-Khawarij and the independent terrorist cells … to increase their activity,' he had said. Abhinandan Varthaman, then a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, was captured by Pakistani forces on 27 February 2019 after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down during an aerial dogfight over the Line of Control (LoC) following India's Balakot airstrikes. After ejecting from his aircraft, he landed in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir and was initially surrounded by villagers before being taken into custody by the Pakistan Army. During his captivity, videos surfaced showing Abhinandan Varthaman blindfolded and injured, and Indian officials later reported that he was subjected to mental harassment but no significant physical torture, Timesd Of India reported. The capture of Abhinandan escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, with both countries on high alert and on the brink of further military confrontation. However, on 28 February 2019, Pakistan's then Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Abhinandan would be released as a 'gesture of peace.' The Indian government welcomed the decision, and Abhinandan crossed back into India at the Wagah border on 1 March 2019. Throughout his captivity, Abhinandan reportedly resisted Pakistani attempts to extract sensitive military information. Indian military officials had revealed that he was deprived of sleep, subjected to loud music, and made to stand for long hours, but he did not divulge critical information.
United News of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Pakistan faces major thirst after India stops flow of Chenab River
Islamabad, May 6 (UNI) After India stopped the flow of the Chenab River into Pakistan, the river level has reduced manifold leaving Islamabad parched. Pakistan has accused India of engaging in a "water war" in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were killed. On Monday, India stopped flow of the Chenab River into Pakistan through Jammu's Baglihar and Salal hydroelectric dams without notifying Islamabad, leaving the already water-starved country panic-stricken. According to Pakistani officials, water flows in the Chenab, recorded at the Marala headworks, in Sialkot in Pakistan's Punjab, decreased from 35,000 cusecs on Sunday to about 3,100 cusecs on Monday morning, showing a more than 11-fold reduction, reported Dawn. 'They have almost blocked the River Chenab flows to downstream (Pakistan) after they (Indian authorities) took the decision on Sunday,' a senior official of the Punjab irrigation department confirmed on Monday. 'Currently, they are using our water to fill up their dams/hydropower projects in the Chenab basin. They cannot do this since it is a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty…,' the official deplored. Pakistan is worried of any potential future discharges by India's three hydroelectric dams at the Chenab Basin, which include the Baglihar, Salal, and the Pakal Dam, as they could cause sudden floods and put the local population at risk. 'From Salal Dam, Marala Barrage (in Pakistan) is situated 76km away. The reason behind the massive reduction in the flows is the filling of these dams, which have a total storage capacity of over 1.2 million acre-feet. And if they keep filling their dams and avert discharging, they (India) may leave us without water for four to five days more,' the official warned. The water official noted that Marala's capacity was 1.1 million cusecs, whereas the total storage capacity of India's dams in the Chenab basin was over 1.3 million acre-feet. 'However, they don't have control over the water inflows to Pakistan in the river from the Jammu-Tawi and Munawar-Tavi distributaries,' the official added. A sudden stop of the Chenab waters could prove disastrous for Pakistan, as its irrigation system is majorly dependent on the Chenab River for agriculture in its Punjab region. According to the daily water report issued by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), the water inflows in Chenab at Marala were recorded at 5,300 cusecs, whereas there were zero outflows on Monday. A meeting by the advisory committee of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) also expressed concerns over New Delhi's sudden stop to the Chenab waters. The authority said that this move would cause additional shortages to Kharif crops, already facing an estimated 21pc shortfall. '…sudden decrease in river Chenab inflows at Marala due to short supply by India would result in more shortages in early Kharif season,' said a statement issued by IRSA. The water regulator declared an overall shortage of 21pc for the remaining early Kharif season in case supplies in River Chenab remained normal. However, the situation would be monitored on a daily basis and if the decrease continues, the shortages would be revisited accordingly, IRSA said, adding the late Kharif shortages were expected to be 7pc. In the meantime, India has begun work to boost its reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects. A 'reservoir flushing' process to remove sediment began on Thursday in Jammu & Kashmir. The process initially results in sediment-laden waters being released downstream from the reservoirs, potentially causing sudden inundation, followed by a reduced flow of water as the reservoirs are refilled. While the process poses no immediate threat to Pakistan, such work by additional Indian dams could majorly disrupt its hydroelectricity and irrigation in the future.
