The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday promoted its war hero, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, to the rank of Group Captain. The post is equivalent to the post of Colonel in the Indian Army. The IAF has authorized the promotion of this decorated officer and he will shortly move to the new rank.
This came as a Diwali gift for Abhinandan who was also conferred with Vir Chaktra for showing exemplary courage while defending the nation when a war situation between India and Pakistan escalated in February 2019. He had shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter. A jet in Pakistan occupied Kashmir with its Mig-21 Bison on February 27, 2019, when Indian and Pakistani air forces engaged in a dogfight after India destroyed terrorist camps in Balakot.
Abhinandan was captured by enemies after his Mig 21 was shot down by a Pakistani missile just after destroying a Pakistani aircraft. But the Pakistani army and the government of Imran Khan released him within 48 hours of his capture after India signaled to Pakistan that it would continue to carry out strikes similar to those in Balakot if Abhinandan was not found. not released. India has also warned Pakistan against harming its officer. 28and In February, Imran Khan announced that his government had decided to dismiss Abhinandan as a “gesture of peace”, and the wing commander had crossed the Indo-Pakistani border at Wagah on March 1, 2019. Some of his videos in the custody of the Pakistani army have gone viral where he can be seen bravely facing his interrogation.
Abhinandan was part of Srinagar-based 51 Squadron and he flew to thwart an air attack launched by the Pakistanis on February 27, 2019.
India had carried out a massive aerial attack on a terrorist training center in Balakot, Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 26, 2019. This was done in revenge for the February 14 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 dead. The Pakistani terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed was behind the attack.
