Fact check: Govt debunks Pak's claim of attack on Jalandhar post, and more

Operation Sindoor: Centre flags seven fake or misleading social media claims, including fabricated drone strike and false video of Army post destruction in Jalandhar

The Centre has debunked claims of a drone attack in Jalandhar, the destruction of a non-existent Indian Army post, and five other attempts at spreading disinformation via social media. The clarification comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which prompted New Delhi’s retaliatory ‘Operation Sindoor’.

 

Seven fake narratives flagged in official report

On Friday, May 9, the Government of India released a detailed report outlining seven instances of disinformation identified between 10:00 pm on May 8 and 6:30 pm on May 9. The fact-check unit reviewed widely circulated fake videos and claims, allegedly originating from Pakistani social media handles and amplified by some Indian media channels. 

 

 

 

Many of these were aimed at misrepresenting India’s military actions and preparedness, the government said. The debunked claims include:

 

Fake drone attack footage in Jalandhar: A viral video showing an alleged drone strike was confirmed to be footage of a farm fire, unrelated in both timing and context. 

Drone Attack in Jalandhar⁉️  This drone strike video from #Jalandhar is widely circulating on social media#PIBFactCheck  * This is an unrelated video of a farm fire. The video has the time 7:39 PM, while the drone attack began later.  * Do not share this video. See the… pic.twitter.com/IRBjq2KOTQ

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2025

 

Alleged fidayeen attack in Rajouri: No such incident occurred, as verified by the government agencies.

 

False claim of Indian post destroyed: A video claiming the destruction of a military post by a so-called ‘20 Raj Battalion’ was found to be entirely fabricated; no such unit exists. 

???? Staged Video Alert ????  Fake video is being circulated by Pakistani handles alleging that an Indian Post was destroyed by the #Pakistani Army  ???? #PIBFactCheck:  ✅ The claim is completely false, and the video is staged  ❌ There is no unit called “20 Raj Battalion" in the… pic.twitter.com/959rc9OrTH

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2025

 

Ambala Airbase disinformation: Claims that the Indian military attacked civilians from Ambala Airbase were dismissed as baseless.  Misattributed missile attack video: A video of the 2020 Beirut explosion was falsely circulated as footage of a Pakistani missile strike on India. 

An #old video is being shared on #SocialMedia with the claim that #Pakistan has launched a missile attack on India in retaliation. #PIBFactCheck  ✅ The video being shared is of the explosive attack that took place in Beirut, Lebanon in the year 2020  ✅ Don't fall for the… pic.twitter.com/G8nIIdn6FG

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2025

 

Airport entry ban hoax: No airport access restrictions have been imposed, despite viral social media claims suggesting otherwise.  Forged letter from non-existent CoAS: A purported confidential military letter signed by a ‘Gen VK Narayan’—a fictitious name—was exposed as fake.

 

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The Centre has released fact-check links for each case and urged citizens and media professionals to verify information through official sources before sharing or amplifying it. 

The Centre urged media outlets and citizens to verify content through official government channels before sharing.

 

Operation Sindoor: Airstrikes on nine terror-linked sites

On May 7, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, executing a 23-minute precision airstrike on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The targets were alleged launchpads and facilities linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

 

Rafale jets deployed SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs to hit militant sites in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot and Muzaffarabad. Pakistan condemned the strikes.