India’s decisive counterterrorism move, ‘Operation Sindoor’, which successfully targeted nine high-value terror sites in Pakistan and PoK, triggered an online disinformation campaign from across the border.
Within hours of the strikes, Pakistani government-linked media houses and social media accounts began spreading misleading claims in a coordinated attempt to manipulate the narrative.
Prominent among the fabricated stories was the assertion that Pakistan had launched missile attacks on 15 Indian locations in retaliation.
Other baseless claims included supposed strikes by the Pakistan Air Force on the Srinagar Airbase and the alleged destruction of an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters.
Handles linked to Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), pushed these reports, largely disseminated via the platform X (formerly Twitter).
However, no credible evidence was offered to support these claims.
Neither satellite imagery nor ground-level visuals substantiated any of the supposed counter-attacks.
Fact-checkers flagged many images and videos circulating as outdated or unrelated to the current situation.
India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) swiftly activated its Fact Check division, issuing multiple clarifications on X to debunk the viral posts.
One such statement addressed a video falsely claiming that the Pakistan Air Force had struck Srinagar Airbase.
PIB Fact Check confirmed that the footage was not from India but from a 2024 incident involving sectarian clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Another official clarification dismissed claims of the destruction of an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters, labelling them ‘FAKE’ and urging citizens not to share unverified information.
Fact-checkers exposed many visuals as digitally manipulated or repurposed from unrelated historical events to create confusion and panic.
PIB flagged a fake advisory falsely attributed to the government, urging citizens to take precautionary measures.
It also debunked false claims circulated by Pakistani media and military-linked accounts, including alleged attacks on Indian territory.
The PIB urged the public to rely only on official sources for accurate information.
Despite the lack of supporting evidence, Pakistani mainstream media outlets echoed the same fabricated stories, indicating an orchestrated effort to construct a retaliatory narrative.
The Indian government has urged citizens and media organisations to verify information through official sources and avoid falling for propaganda designed to undermine public trust.
As Operation Sindoor continues to draw global attention, India remains firm on maintaining factual clarity.
Authorities have reinforced the importance of relying only on government-verified updates, especially during sensitive national security operations.
This disinformation campaign underscores the growing role of digital platforms in modern conflict narratives- and the critical need for public discernment in the face of coordinated media manipulation.
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