On Thursday night, tensions escalated significantly along the borders of India and Pakistan, leading to one of the most intense military confrontations between these two nuclear-armed nations in years.
The conflict began around 8:30 PM, as Pakistan initiated a series of airstrikes aimed at regions in Kashmir, along with parts of Gujarat and Punjab. These strikes utilized both traditional air missiles and Kamikaze drones, which are drones designed for single-use missions that create substantial impacts, as per reports from the Ministry of Defense.
Pakistan’s disinformation campaign
While ground and aerial defensive actions were ongoing, a parallel campaign of misinformation surged online from Pakistan. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) identified and debunked several misleading claims that were circulating on social media, often spread by either Pakistani sources or unknowing Indian users.
From 10 PM on May 8th until 6:30 AM on May 9th, PIB fact-checked at least eight viral videos and posts to confirm their legitimacy, revealing many of them to be doctored, unrelated, or entirely fabricated.
False claim No. 1: Drone attack at Jalandhar
A video that purported to show a drone strike in Jalandhar, Punjab, was later clarified to be footage of a farm fire captured at 7:39 PM before any confirmed military action took place. Jalandhar’s deputy committee confirmed that it did not relate to any military operations.
Drone attack at Jalandhar?
This video circulated widely on social media #jalandhar #PibFactCheck
*This is an unrelated video of a farm fire taken at 7:39 PM, prior to the drone strikes.
*Please do not share this video. See… pic.twitter.com/irbjq2kotq
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 8, 2025
False Claim No. 2: Destruction of Indian Army Post
A claim about the destruction of an Indian Army post by a supposed Pakistani strike involving a “20 Large Battalion” was debunked, as no such unit exists within the Indian Army. PIB labeled the video as part of a coordinated disinformation effort.
Staged video alert🚨
This fake video was distributed by Pakistani sources claiming that Indian post was destroyed #pakistani Army
The claim is entirely false and the video has been staged.
❌ There’s no unit called “20 Large Battalion”… pic.twitter.com/959rc9orth
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 8, 2025
False claim No. 3: Missile attacks against India
An old video of the Beirut explosion from 2020 was repurposed to falsely suggest Pakistan had launched a missile strike in retaliation. This misrepresented footage has been flagged as misleading.
An #old video shared #SoCialMedia claiming #Pakistan launched missile attacks on India in retaliation. #PibFactCheck
The shared video is from an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon in 2020.
Please don’t fall for ✅… pic.twitter.com/g8niidn6fg
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 8, 2025
False claim No. 4: Suicide attack on Rajuli
Rumors of a Fidaine attack on the Army Brigade at Rajuli, accompanied by video footage, were confirmed to be false by PIB, labeling the video as disinformation.
🚨 #fake_news about ‘Fideen’ attacks on military brigades circulating #rajouri, #jammu, and #kashmir.#PibFactCheck:
▶️ No such ‘Fidayeen’ or suicide attacks have occurred on the Army Kan.
⚠️ #mislead information leads to confusion. pic.twitter.com/x8az5tiguo
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 8, 2025
False Claim No. 5: False Letters from the Army Chief
A forged letter, allegedly from Army Secretary VK Narayan, warning of an impending conflict, has circulated. PIB confirmed that such a person does not hold a military position.
Social media has spread claims that Army Chief VK Narayan issued a secret letter regarding military preparations to officers at Northern Command. #PibFactCheck
✅ This letter is entirely fabricated.
✅ General VK Narayan… pic.twitter.com/ovdxaql3kz
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 8, 2025
False Claim No. 6: Amritsar’s Base Attack
Claims suggesting that Indian forces utilized Ambara airspace to carry out an attack on Amritsar have been firmly denied. PIB referenced a Ministry of Defense release that thoroughly disproved this allegation.
Posts on social media falsely claim that Indian military attacked using Unbara air Base #amritsar against its own citizens.
✅ This claim is completely unfounded and part of a deliberate misinformation strategy.
Read more about #Pakistan attack on Amritsar… pic.twitter.com/c2nnxpjkgf
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 8, 2025
False claim No. 7: No entry to the airport
Allegations concerning government-imposed restrictions at airports nationwide have been disproven by PIB, which clarified that no such order exists.
False Claim No. 8: Attack on Hajira Port, Gujarat
A video suggesting an attack on Hazira Port was actually identified as an old clip from July 2021, depicting an explosion of oil tankers unrelated to the ongoing tensions.
This video is related to Hazira Port #gujarat being attacked #PibFactCheck
*This unrelated video confirms the explosion of an oil tanker. The date of this footage is July 7, 2021.
*Please do not share this video. See the link… pic.twitter.com/nlqwgvaj3k
– PIB Fact Check (@pibfactcheck) May 9, 2025
The government is advising citizens to avoid sharing unverified content, especially in the midst of heightened military tensions.
</div>- Tags: attack, disinformation, efforts, fire, Gujarat, IndiaPakistan, Misinformation, Pakistan, Port, Rajouri, suicide, tensions
