Is Operation Sindoor Under Attack from Misinformation?

New Delhi, May 7 (NationPress) Following the successful execution of Operation Sindoor by the Indian armed forces, which targeted 19 significant terror sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a wave of misinformation flooded social media platforms and Pakistani news agencies. These entities aimed to skew the narrative surrounding India's counterterrorism efforts.

In the wake of the surgical strikes, various media outlets and social media accounts linked to the Pakistani government began disseminating unverified and misleading assertions.

Independent analysts and India's official fact-checking bodies quickly identified many of these claims as false.

One of the most notable fabrications was the assertion that Pakistan had launched missile strikes on 15 different locations within Indian borders.

Additional posts incorrectly claimed that the Pakistan Air Force had attacked the Srinagar Airbase and that an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters had been obliterated.

These misleading narratives were aggressively promoted on X, particularly by accounts associated with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan’s military.

However, no visual or satellite evidence was presented to support these allegations. Official fact-checks indicated that many visuals used to back the misinformation were either irrelevant or outdated.

"A video circulating among pro-Pakistan accounts falsely claims that the Pakistan Air Force targeted the Srinagar airbase. The video is old and NOT from India; it originates from sectarian unrest that occurred in 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Always rely on official Government of India sources for credible information," stated the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check division on X.

In another post, PIB Fact Check remarked, "Social media claims that Pakistan destroyed an Indian Brigade Headquarters are FAKE. Avoid sharing unverified information and depend solely on official sources from the Government of India for accurate details."

A multitude of images and clips shared post-operation were later found to be either digitally altered from unrelated past incidents or archival footage repurposed to create a deceptive narrative of retaliation.

Despite the evident lack of evidence, these fabricated stories were amplified by several mainstream media channels in Pakistan, suggesting a coordinated effort to shape the narrative following the operation and project an image of retaliation.

The Indian government has called on its citizens and the media to depend only on verified information from official channels.