After India launched missile strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) early on Wednesday, May 7, misinformation quickly spread online. Pakistani news channels and X accounts circulated several false and misleading posts.
Misinformation Spreads After Operation Sindoor
Soon after Operation Sindoor ended, social media was filled with posts claiming that Pakistan had retaliated. Many claimed that Pakistan attacked 15 sites inside India. Some even said that the Pakistan Air Force hit the Srinagar Airbase, destroyed an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters, and targeted fighter jets.
However, these posts lacked credible proof. Analysts found no reliable satellite images or video evidence to support any of the claims. Most of the misleading posts came from accounts that had earlier shown support for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Social media posts falsely claims that Pakistan destroyed Indian Brigade Headquarters.#PIBFactCheck
❌ This claim is #FAKE
✅ Please avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from the Government of India for accurate information. pic.twitter.com/9W5YLjBubp
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 7, 2025
Government Dismisses Fake Reports
India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) strongly denied these claims in a post on X. The PIB stated that the video being shared was not recent and not from India. “The video shared is old and NOT from India. The video is from sectarian clashes that took place in the year 2024, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Rely only on official Government of India sources for authentic Information,” the PIB said.
Old Crash Footage Shared as New Incident
Moreover, a 2024 video showing a crashed jet was falsely shared by some Pakistani media outlets. They claimed it showed an Indian fighter jet that was shot down by the Pakistan Army.
This, too, turned out to be fake. The image showed a MiG-29 jet that crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, in September 2024. The PIB clarified, “The image is from an earlier incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29 fighter jet that crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, in September 2024.”
In a video shared by several pro-Pakistan handles, it is being falsely claimed that the Pakistan Airforce has targeted Srinagar airbase#PIBFactCheck
❌ The video shared is old and NOT from India.
✅The video is from sectarian clashes that took place in the year 2024, in… pic.twitter.com/vPmMq4IWdE
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 7, 2025
India Responds to Pahalgam Terror Attack
Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor. This was a swift and targeted strike in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Indian forces hit nine terror-linked sites with precision. The strikes only targeted terror camps and avoided any Pakistani military bases. This shows that India focused only on dismantling terror infrastructure and made efforts to avoid direct military escalation.
