January 01, 2026 08:52 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
No third party involved: India govt sources refute China’s Operation Sindoor ceasefire claim | Amit Shah blasts TMC over border fencing; Mamata fires back on Pahalgam and Delhi blast | 'A profound loss for Bangladesh politics': Sheikh Hasina mourns Khaleda Zia’s death | PM Modi mourns Khaleda Zia’s death, hails her role in India-Bangladesh ties | Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passes away at 80 | India rejects Pakistan’s Christmas vandalism remarks, cites its ‘abysmal’ minority record | Minority under fire: Hindu houses torched in Bangladesh village | Supreme Court puts Aravalli redefinition on hold amid uproar, awaits new expert committee | Supreme Court strikes! Kuldeep Sengar’s bail in Unnao case suspended amid public outcry | From bitter split to big reunion! Pawars join hands again for high-stakes civic battle
Abhinandan Varthman

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman who shot down Pak Jet, promoted to the rank of Group Captain

| @indiablooms | Nov 04, 2021, at 11:07 pm

New Delhi/UNI: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman, who was involved in a dogfight with Pakistani fighter aircraft a day after the Balakot airstrike, has been promoted to the rank of Group Captain, sources said.

Varthman was among the pilots who faced the Pakistani fighter jets on February 27, 2019, a day after India conducted an airstrike at a terrorist camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019.

In response to the airstrike, Pakistan scrambled its fighter jets.

According to the IAF, Abhinandan's MiG-21 shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet, before being shot down.

He landed on the Pakistani side of the border, and was held captive for about 60 hours before being released.

Pakistan had denied reports of its F-16 aircraft being shot down.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman was awarded a Vir Chakra, the third-highest wartime gallantry award.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.