India has launched Operation Sindoor to strike nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, from where terrorists have been carrying out attacks against India. The Indian Armed Forces conducted a “measured” and “non-escalatory” operation shortly after midnight and refrained from attacking any military facilities. Operation Sindoor comes in the wake of the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people. Following the operation, the Indian Army posted on social media, stating that justice had been served.

Soon after, many social media handles began circulating visuals, falsely claiming that Pakistan had attacked several sites in India. In this article, we are fact-checking Pakistan’s claims and the disinformation being spread online. Keep checking this space as we will continue updating it with debunks of fake news on social media.

No, Pakistan has NOT shot down Mirage 2000

The claim made by several social media users that Pakistan has shot down another Indian fighter plane is unfounded, said PIB. It added, “The video being shared is from February 2025 and depicts the crash of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 aircraft near Shivpuri, Gwalior, which occurred during a routine training mission.”

Indian Embassy in China debunks FAKE news

“Dear Global Times News, we would recommend you verify your facts and cross-examine your sources before pushing out this kind of disinformation,” wrote the Indian Embassy in China while quoting a social media post by the outlet claiming that the Pakistani Army has shot down another Indian fighter jet. 

Rafale was NOT shot down by Pakistan

As per PIB, claims of Rafale being shot down by several pro-Pakistan handles are fake. “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 Operation Sindoor,” PIB wrote. 

The organisation further added, “This image is from an earlier incident involving an IAF MiG-21 fighter jet that crashed in Moga district in Punjab in 2021.”

Image showing IAF MiG-29 crash is from 2024

An image of MiG-29 is being widely circulated with the claim that “Pakistan has shot it down”. This claim is fake as the photo of the crashed aircraft is from the year 2024. PIB stated, “The image is from an earlier incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29 fighter jet that crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, in September 2024.”

Video of the attack on Srinagar Airbase is OLD

Several pro-Pakistan handles have been circulating an old video, falsely attributing it to Pakistan’s supposed retaliation against India’s Operation Sindoor. In reality, the Pakistani Army has NOT carried out any attack on the Srinagar Airbase.

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In fact, the videos that they have been circulating are from 2024 sectarian clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and are not related to the current events. 

Indian Brigade Headquarters NOT attacked by Pakistan

PIB has busted fake news spread by several social media handles from Pakistan that the country’s army has retaliated and attacked the Indian Brigade Headquarters. This claim is entirely false.

Pakistan Air Force did NOT shoot down 2 Indian aircraft

If you come across any post stating that the “Pakistan Air Force has shot down two Indian Aircraft” with the pictures that we are providing below, know that it is FAKE. The photo being circulated is from an IAF MiG fighter jet crash in Rajasthan and is over a year old.

FAKE social media accounts alert

Fact-checker Mohammed Zubair has put out a post on social media warning Indians to be wary of several Pakistani propaganda social media accounts that pretend to be Indian Army personnel. 

NO, this video is not from Operation Sindoor

A video of a missile hitting a target has been widely circulated with the claim that it is from Operation Sindoor. The video is one year old and shows Iranian missiles hitting Israel.  

These images are old and UNRELATED

“ARY News from Pakistan is sharing images of old and unrelated incidents as latest,” wrote Zubair on X while debunking the claim.  

Photos of aircraft wreckage are FAKE

“This isn’t from a crashed aircraft. This is a drop tank from an aircraft, and none of the photos show any other aircraft parts,” wrote a social media user in response to the pictures viral on social media showing an “unidentified aircraft at a crash site in Pakistan”. 

While we continue debunking these fake claims in this article, do not fall for unverified information. As PIB has advised: “Please avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from the Government of India for accurate updates.”