A Pakistani special forces officer who played a key role in the capture of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman during the 2019 Balakot airstrike has reportedly been killed in an attack by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), sources told NDTV on Wednesday.
The officer, Major Syed Muiz, was serving with the 6th Commando Battalion of Pakistan’s Special Services Group. He was reportedly killed in action in the Sararogha area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region where the TTP — an armed Islamist militant group operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border — has been active. The group has claimed responsibility for his death.
Major Muiz had gained attention in 2019 for his role in the capture of then-Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after the aerial combat between India and Pakistan on February 27, following the Balakot airstrikes. Varthaman had shot down a Pakistani F-16 while flying a MiG-21 Bison, a significantly older aircraft, before being shot down himself over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He ejected and was taken into custody by Pakistani forces.
The Indian pilot’s capture sparked a major diplomatic incident. He was held for nearly 60 hours before Pakistan released him amid intense international and Indian pressure. Varthaman was later awarded the Vir Chakra for his bravery and was promoted to Group Captain in November 2021.
The Balakot airstrikes were launched by India in retaliation for the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into their convoy. The attacker, Adil Ahmad Dar, was linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
India’s airstrikes targeted JeM training camps in Balakot, deep inside Pakistani territory. The operation, involving a dozen Mirage 2000 jets, lasted less than 20 minutes. Investigations later revealed that five structures along a ridge-line near Bisian in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were struck using Spice 2000 precision-guided munitions. (Source: NDTV)
