India initiated Operation Sindoor on the early morning of May 7, against nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It was a direct response to the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians, one of them a Nepali, were killed.
Though India validated the strikes were calibrated and specific, a Pakistani journalist posted an outdated Gaza bombing video, deceptively attributing it to the Indian action. The deceptive clip has now made it to social media, new questions arising as to the distribution of disinformation during military strikes.
Indian Military Strike: Revenge for Pahalgam Attack
Indian PM issued a press statement at 1:44 am on May 7. He announced “Operation Sindoor” officially. Indian Army launched precision attacks on nine terror infrastructure locations in Pakistan and PoK. This was a retaliation for the Pahalgam terrorist attack where 25 Indian civilians and a Nepali national were martyred.
As per the statement, the military forces exercised restraint, refrained from escalation, and did not attack any Pakistani military installation. The operation clearly conveyed a message: India will retaliate forcefully against terrorism.
Pakistani Journalist Posts Misleading Gaza Clip
Shortly after the attack, Pakistani reporter Sabir Shakir uploaded a video on X stating it demonstrated “Indian attack in Bahawalpur.” The video, however, was not recent or from Pakistan. It had originally been posted by KABUL NEWS in 2023 when it displayed an Israeli bombing of Gaza.
بھارتی حملہ بہالپور میں pic.twitter.com/tODgn5IYPv
— Sabir Shakir (@ARYSabirShakir) May 6, 2025
A quick Google reverse image search verified the clip’s source. The 2023 post reported that 400 were killed during the Israeli attack, with others buried under rubble. All this notwithstanding, Shakir posted the clip as though it showed India’s Operation Sindoor.
Misinformation in Conflict: Growing Threat
Social media users promptly tagged it as a fabrication. Others wrote, “Gaza ki video hai ye bhai” and asked others to double-check sources before putting up anything. The post raised alarms about disinformation, particularly during sensitive military actions.
اسرائیلو پرون شپه پر غزې باندې خپلو بمباریو ته شدت ورکړی.
د فلسطیني رسنۍ د راپور له مخې د پرون شپې په بمباریو کې د ښځو او ماشومانو په گډون ۴۰۰ کسانو خپل ژوند له لاسه ورکړی او سلگونه نور لا د نړیدلو ودانیو لاندې دي. pic.twitter.com/iCgoZy3PAj— KABUL NEWS (@kabulnewstv) October 23, 2023
The fabricated reports can incite cross-border tensions and mislead civilians. It also highlights a new aspect of modern warfare: the war on fake news.
Airports Closed in Northern India After Strikes
After the strikes, India closed some civilian airports in northern states. These are:
- Leh, Jammu, Srinagar (J&K)
- Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh)
- Bikaner (Rajasthan)
- Hindon (Uttar Pradesh)
- Amritsar (Punjab)
Major airlines informed passengers through X posts, asking them to verify flight statuses because of airspace restrictions.
Legacy of Restraint, Risk of Rumours
While India was prudent and circumspect, the fake video incident highlights the vulnerability of the public space. With tensions between India and Pakistan intensifying, so do the prospects of manipulated news.
Operation Sindoor demonstrates India’s strategic self-control. But the misinformation regarding it highlights an ominous trend: wars are also being waged on the internet now—with fake video clips and viral falsehoods.
