Fact-checking Pakistan’s claims and social media disinformation following Operation Sindoor

Indian armed forces carried out 'Operation Sindoor' in the early hours of Wednesday, which targeted nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In the wake of the operation, numerous false claims emerged on social media platforms by pro-Pakistan handles.

Several accounts sharing these claims have a large following that have previously aligned with Pakistan’s military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has refuted several viral social media claims surrounding 'Operation Sindoor'.

A video being widely circulated by pro-Pakistani handles claim that Pakistan Air Force has targeted the Srinagar airbase. However, PIB Fact Check has clarified that it is an old video and not from India.

In a post on X, PIB said that the video is from sectarian clashes that took place in 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The agency urged people to reply on official government sources for accurate information.

An image of a MiG-29 is being shared with claim that "Pakistan has shot it down." However the image is from an earlier incident that involved an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29 fighter jet that crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan in September 2024, PIB stated.

Other posts alleged that Pakistan responded by striking 15 locations inside India, Pakistan Air Force destroyed an Indian Army Brigade Headquarter which were also debunked by PIB.

An advisory notice claiming to be from the government urged individuals to take precautionary measures and keep essential items ready at home in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. PIB Fact Check clarified that the government has not issued any such advisory.

Pakistani propaganda accounts identified

In a related development, amid reports of a disinformation campaign by Pakistan, independent fact-checker Mohammed Zubair identified several Pakistani social media accounts posing as Indian Army personnel.

Pakistani news channel, ARY News shared visuals claiming that Pakistani armed forces had shot down Indian aircraft. Debunking the claim Zubair wrote, “ARY News from Pakistan is sharing images of old and unrelated incidents as latest."

Several images and videos being shared on social media platforms, used to bolster Pakistani claims were found to be unrelated, old footage, or digitally altered.