Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov 22: Balakot Air Strike Hero and Indian Air Force’s ace pilot Group captain Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet, was awarded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony today.
Abhinandan Varthaman was recently promoted from wing commander to the rank of Group Captain.
Notably, Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27 a day after the Balakot airstrike. He was then taken into custody by the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army was forced to release him due to the extensive pressure exerted by the Indian side along with international intervention into the matter.
Delhi: Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman being accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind, for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27, 2019. pic.twitter.com/vvbpAYuaJX
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2021
India had launched an aerial strike on Pakistan’s terrorist facility in the Khyber pakhtunkhwa area run by the Jaise-e-Mohammed (JeM) on February 26.
