SOURCE: AFI
In a fierce firefight in the Sararogha Tehsil of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan Army Special Services Group (SSG) officer Major Syed Moeiz Abbas Shah was killed alongside Lance Naik Jibran Ullah during a raid by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. The clash, which occurred on June 24, 2025, resulted in the deaths of 11 militants and injuries to seven others, according to the Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Major Syed, a distinguished SSG commando, was notably involved in the capture of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in February 2019, an incident that marked a high point of India-Pakistan tensions.
The operation in South Waziristan, a volatile region bordering Afghanistan, was launched based on intelligence reports of “Indian-sponsored” militants, as claimed by ISPR. The intense exchange of fire saw Pakistani security forces eliminate 11 TTP fighters, but the loss of Major Syed and Lance Naik Jibran underscored the high cost of counter-insurgency operations in the disputed KPK province. ISPR stated that a sanitization operation is ongoing to neutralize any remaining militants in the area. The attack was part of a series of coordinated TTP assaults in South Waziristan and Kurram, reportedly claiming 14 Pakistani soldiers’ lives on the same day.
Major Syed, a former member of the 7 Northern Light Infantry (NLI) and 6 Commando Battalion (CDO), was a highly decorated SSG officer known for his role in high-stakes operations. His most prominent moment came on February 27, 2019, when he led a team that apprehended IAF Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman after his MiG-21 was shot down during an aerial skirmish over the Line of Control (LoC).
The killing of an elite SSG officer is likely to be seen as a major blow to Pakistan’s military, particularly as the TTP continues to demonstrate both tactical capability and strategic reach in its operations. This incident also draws attention to the complex internal challenges faced by Pakistan’s armed forces, many of whom are now engaged in an increasingly protracted and bloody conflict against militants who were once supported as strategic assets during the war in Afghanistan.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.