Abhinandan Varthaman, an Indian Air Force pilot, was awarded the Vir Chakra medal for displaying courage while allegedly shooting down a Pakistani F-16 during the Balakot airstrike in February of this year. Meanwhile, Twitter users are reliving the circumstances surrounding Abhinandan’s abduction by Pakistan.
President Ram Nath Kovind presented Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, an Indian Air Force pilot, with the Vir Chakra medal on Monday in New Delhi. Abhinandan received the military decoration from India in recognition of his gallantry during the Balakot airstrike in 2019.
During India’s Balakot attack, Abhinandan Varthaman allegedly shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft, an allegation that has been refuted by the Pakistani government.
Indian media said that they shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet.” First and first, Pakistan did not utilise F-16s throughout the whole operation, and there is no evidence that a Pakistani jet was shot down,” Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the director-general (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said at the time of the incident.
During the month of February 2019, India breached Pakistan’s airspace. Attacks across the Line of Control by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were carried out in self-defense by the Pakistani air force. As a consequence, it was able to shoot down two Indian aircraft that were flying into Pakistani territory. One of the planes crashed within the state of AJ&K, while the other crashed inside the state of IoK.
Abhinandan, who was the Wing Commander at the time of the incident, was apprehended by Pakistani ground troops as a result of his jet being shot down.
The Daily Beat is an unconventional Digital Media and News Company/Website. We publish News not chaos.