Abhinandan Varthaman became the epitome of patriotism earlier this year when he foiled a retaliation bid by the Pakistani army. The IAF officer downed an F-16 fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force displaying unparalleled determination and bravery.
The wing commander had taken a break from his flying duties after sustaining injuries in Pakistan post getting caught by the Pakistani forces after ejecting from his MiG-21 Bison fighter on enemy land on February 27, 2019.
Abhinandan Varthaman has now cleared all the medical tests and will be joining his flying duties very soon.
Abhinandan Was Captured By Pakistani Forces On February 27
After the Pulwama terror attack on the 40 CRPF jawans on February 14 this year, tensions between India and Pakistan reached its peak. The crisis heightened further after Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terror outfit claimed responsibility for this attack. In a secret retaliatory response, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out an airstrike on the terror camp run by the terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.
IAF pilot Abhinandan shot down a Pakistan F-16 jet during this airstrike firing an R-73 missile. But after his Mig 21 Bison was hit by an AMRAAM missile, he had no other option but to force a landing. At that time, he was captured by Pakistani forces because he had landed on the territory of the enemy.
Pakistan Released Abhinandan After Couple Of Days
After a day of capturing Abhinandan Varthaman, the PM of Pakistan Imran Khan announced that they will release the IAF officer. It was seen as a step to defuse the almost war-like situation that was instigated by the airstrike from India. The Pakistani officials handed over the Indian Wing Commander to Indian authorities on March 1 at the Attari-Wagah border.
He became a national hero after his photographs being captured, blindfolded and handcuffed by the Pakistani military surfaced. A video released a day after showed him sipping tea with the Pakistani army people in which Abhinandan said that they were treating him well. The IAF officer also released a video prior to his release from Pakistan praising the military of the neighboring nation saying that the Army people saved him from the mob.
Pakistan had to release Abhinandan on March 1 as India continued to build diplomatic pressure on the neighboring country.
