Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, the Pakistani army major who captured Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman during last year’s 2019 India-Pakistan aerial dogfight, was martyred this week in a military operation against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in South Waziristan.
ISPR stated that Shah, 37, died in an intense firefight with Taliban fighters in the Sararogha district along the Afghan border. The operation also claimed the life of another soldier, Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, 27.
Army Chief Asim Munir Attends Funeral in Rawalpindi
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, attended the funeral prayers for Major Shah, held at Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi. A photo from the ceremony surfaced on social media, showing Munir standing alongside fellow army officers.
The ISPR attributed the Army Chief as saying, “Major Syed Moiz Abbas fought valiantly in the face of resistance and eventually sacrificed his life in the line of duty, maintaining the highest traditions of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism.”
The military gave Shah a full military funeral in his home village, and tributes rolled in online for his bravery and sacrifice.
Major Shah Captured Abhinandan Varthaman
Local news reports revealed that Major Shah also arrested Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after shooting down his MiG-21 Bison during the aftermath of the Balakot airstrike in February 2019. Then a captain, Shah reportedly saved the IAF pilot from lynching and took him into custody as per military procedure.
A vintage clip of an old Geo TV interview resurfaced in which Shah explains the tense situation, verifying his involvement in Abhinandan’s capture.
Pakistan Army Kills 11 TTP Militants in Same Operation
The ISPR said that Shah’s military operation and his battalion killed 11 TTP terrorists and wounded seven others. The outfit, established in 2007, has claimed responsibility for a series of mass-casualty attacks throughout Pakistan, including the 2009 attack on the army headquarters and the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing.
Pakistan formally names the TTP “Fitna al-Khawarij,” which links the organization to an ancient sect based on their extremism with violence.