The Pakistani special forces officer Major Moiz Abbas Shah, who claimed the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, was reportedly killed in a clash with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
Reportedly, the TTP’s attacks resulted in the deaths of 14 Pakistani soldiers, including Shah. The TTP is an armed Islamist group operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (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.The statement further said that clearance operations were ongoing to eliminate any remaining militants in the area.
According to local media reports, the ISPR stated that Pakistani security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on June 24, 2025, in Sararogha following a tip-off regarding the presence of militants.
Varthaman had shot down a Pak F-16 fighter jet during aerial combat on February 27 2019. Unfortunately, during the dogfight, he flew over POK and his plane was hit.
Then Wing Commander Varthaman was released 58 hours later by the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Government through the Wagah-Attari border.
