Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman returned to India to a hero’s welcome on Friday night. His health condition is being monitored by a group of doctors at the Army’s Research and Referral hospital, the officials said. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman returned to India to a hero’s welcome on Friday night. His health condition is being monitored by a group of doctors at the Army’s Research and Referral hospital, the officials said.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who became the face of the tense military confrontation between India and Pakistan, conveyed to the IAF brass that he wants to return to the cockpit as soon as possible, officials said Sunday. For the last two days, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot has been undergoing medical treatment at a military hospital here.

Varthaman told senior IAF commanders and doctors treating him that he wants to start flying at the earliest, the officials told PTI.

He returned to India to a hero’s welcome on Friday night. His health condition is being monitored by a group of doctors at the Army’s Research and Referral hospital, the officials said.

“The efforts have been to ensure that he returns to the cockpit soon,” said a military official.

The officials said Varthaman has been in high spirits despite the harassment he suffered in Pakistan. Varthaman arrived in the national capital on an IAF flight around 11:45 PM Friday, nearly two-and-half hours after he crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah border.

The IAF pilot was first taken to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), a compact and specialised medical evaluation centre for aircrew of all the three services. Later he was brought to the Army’s Research and Referral hospital.

During the meeting, the defence minister commended him on his valour and expressed the nation’s gratitude for his selfless service. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest training camp near Balakot, deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday.

The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers.

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