New Delhi:
A coordinated series of military escalations along the India-Pakistan frontier Thursday evening marked one of the most intense military face-offs between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years.
The engagement began around 8:30 pm on Thursday, when Pakistan initiated a wave of airstrikes targeting military installations and border areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, and later parts of Gujarat and Punjab. According to the Ministry of Defence, the attacks involved conventional air-to-ground missiles, as well as the deployment of kamikaze drones, unmanned aerial systems designed for one-way missions that detonate on impact.
Pakistani Disinformation Campaign
As defensive manoeuvres continued out on the ground and in the air, an equally aggressive misinformation and disinformation campaign unfolded online from Pakistan. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit identified and debunked a series of misleading and false claims that surfaced on social media, many originating from Pakistani handles or being amplified by Indian users unaware of their inauthenticity.
Between 10:00 pm on May 8 and 6:30 am on May 9, the PIB fact-checked at least eight viral videos and posts, confirming them to be either unrelated, doctored, or entirely fabricated.
False Claim No.1: Drone Attack in Jalandhar
A widely circulated video claimed to show a drone attack in Punjab’s Jalandhar. Upon verification, the video was found to depict a farm fire recorded at 7:39 pm, before any confirmed aerial activity. The Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar confirmed that the video had no connection to military action.
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
False Claim No.2: Destruction of an Indian Army Post
A video alleging that a Pakistani strike had destroyed an Indian Army post operated by a fictitious “20 Raj Battalion” was proven false. The Indian Army has no such unit. PIB determined the video to be staged and part of a coordinated propaganda campaign.
🚨 Staged Video Alert 🚨
Fake video is being circulated by Pakistani handles alleging that an Indian Post was destroyed by the #Pakistani Army
✅ 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
False Claim No.3: Missile Attack on India
An old video from the 2020 Beirut explosion was repurposed to claim that Pakistan had launched missile strikes in retaliation. The visual, widely shared on social media, was flagged as misleading.
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
False Claim No.4: Suicide Attack in Rajouri
Rumours about a fidayeen (suicide) attack on an Army brigade in Rajouri circulated with accompanying video footage. PIB confirmed there was no such incident and flagged the video as disinformation.
🚨 #Fake_news is circulating about a “fidayeen” attack on an Army brigade in #Rajouri, #Jammu and #Kashmir.#PIBFactCheck:
▶️ No such #fidayeen or suicide attack has occurred on any army cantt.
⚠️ Do not fall for these false claims intended to #mislead and cause confusion. pic.twitter.com/x8Az5tigUO
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2025
False Claim No.5: Fake Letter from Army Chief
A fabricated letter allegedly written by a fictitious Army Chief Gen. VK Narayan warning of impending conflict was circulated. PIB clarified that no such individual holds the position of Chief of Army Staff.
A letter is being shared on Social Media claiming that Chief of the Army Staff Gen V.K. Narayan has sent a confidential letter regarding military preparedness to the Army officer of Northern Command. #PIBFactCheck
✅ This letter is completely Fake.
✅ Gen. V.K. Narayan is… pic.twitter.com/OvDxaql3kz
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2025
False Claim No.6: Ambala Airbase Attack on Amritsar
A claim suggesting that the Indian military used its Ambala Airbase to attack the city of Amritsar was categorically denied. PIB cited a Ministry of Defence press release that thoroughly refuted the claim.
A social media post falsely claims that the Indian military used Ambala Airbase to attack #Amritsar and its own citizens.
✅ This claim is completely baseless and part of a concerted misinformation campaign.
Read more about #Pakistan attack on Amritsar👇… pic.twitter.com/C2NnXPjkgF
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2025
False Claim No.7: Airport Entry Bans
Social media users circulated posts claiming a government-imposed entry ban on airports across India. PIB debunked the claim, clarifying that no such directive had been issued.
False Claim No.8: Attack on Hazira Port, Gujarat
A video claiming an attack on Hazira Port was found to be an old clip from July 2021, showing an oil tanker explosion unrelated to the current conflict.
This video is widely circulating on social media with a claim that Hazira Port in #Gujarat has been attacked #PIBFactCheck
* This is an unrelated video confirmed to depict an oil tanker explosion. The video is dated July 7, 2021.
* Do not share this video. Refer the link… pic.twitter.com/nlQwgVAj3k
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 9, 2025
The government has urged citizens to refrain from sharing unverified content, especially during high-tension scenarios.
