Details Emerge on Killing of Pakistani Soldier, Major Moiz Abbas, Who Captured Indian Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman

Major Moiz Abbas, a Pakistani officer involved in the capture of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, has been killed in an encounter in South Waziristan. The confrontation involved a gunfight with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Major Abbas, a 37-year-old from Chakwal, died alongside Lance Naik Jibranullah. The Pakistan Army reported that the incident resulted in the deaths of 11 TTP members. The TTP’s emergence as a threat is highlighted by this event. The officer’s role in capturing Abhinandan Varthaman during the 2019 Balakot strike is now remembered. The military standoff in 2019 arose after the Pulwama attack. Abhinandan Varthaman’s jet was shot down during retaliatory actions, and he was subsequently captured. The TTP’s formation stemmed from actions against Islamabad’s Lal Masjid in 2007. The group’s leaders, including Noor Wali Mehsud, had ties to organizations supported by Pakistan’s ISI. Members of the TTP received training aimed at Pakistan’s Shia Muslim community.