After ‘Operation Sindoor’, PIB flags old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles among other claims

After ‘Operation Sindoor’, PIB flags old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles

The government’s official fact-checking agency ‘Press Information Bureau (PIB)’ has flagged old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles in the present context after successful ‘Operation Sindoor’, which targeted nine high-value terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

In a social media post on X, PIB wrote, “Beware of old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles in the present context!

An #old image showing a crashed aircraft is being circulated with the claim that Pakistan recently shot down an Indian Rafale jet near Bahawalpur during the ongoing #OperationSindoor

#PIBFactCheck

✔️This image is from an earlier incident involving an IAF MiG-21 fighter jet that crashed in Moga district in Punjab in 2021.”

The government has also notified of other misinformation on the social media sites.

Government urges individuals to take precautionary measures

“An image of an advisory is being shared online, claiming that the government has urged individuals to take precautionary measures and keep essential items ready at home. This claim is FAKE.

The government has not issued any such advisory,” said the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check division in a post on X.

It further urged citizens to “trust only official government sources for credible information” and cautioned against forwarding or sharing unverified claims.

Pakistan’s missile strikes on 15 locations within Indian territory

The other fake claim reads that Pakistan had responded with missile strikes on 15 locations within Indian territory.

Several other posts falsely alleged that the Pakistan Air Force had targeted the Srinagar Airbase and that an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters had been destroyed.

These claims were aggressively pushed on X, especially by accounts with substantial followings tied to Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

However, neither visual nor satellite evidence was provided to corroborate any of these claims. Official fact-checks revealed that many of the visuals used to support the misinformation were not only unrelated but also outdated.

“In a video shared by several pro-Pakistan handles, it is being falsely claimed that the Pakistan Air Force has targeted Srinagar airbase. 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 Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check division posted on X.

Indian Brigade Headquarters

In another post, the PIB Fact Check said, “Social media posts falsely claim that Pakistan destroyed Indian Brigade Headquarters. This claim is FAKE. Please avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from the Government of India for accurate information.”