Claim: Viral videos circulating on social media are being falsely linked to the recent military skirmishes between Pakistan and India that concluded with a ceasefire on May 10. These videos are, in fact, outdated and unrelated to the current conflict.
Claim 1: A widely shared video shows a massive fire, with claims that it depicts the aftermath of an Indian missile strike on Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.
Fact: This video predates the recent tensions. A reverse image search by Geo Fact Check revealed that the clip was originally posted on Facebook on December 6, 2023. The post clarified that the fire erupted near Rawalpindi’s old airport due to a collision between two fuel tankers — not a missile attack.
Claim 2: Another viral video, viewed over one million times, claims that the Indian Air Force shot down two Pakistani fighter jets over Budgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Fact: This video is not recent and does not show Pakistani jets. Reverse image search confirms that the footage is from a September 2022 report published by The Irish Sun, which identified the aircraft as Russian jets shot down by Ukraine. The same video was also shared by Ukraine’s former defence minister as evidence of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Conclusion: The viral videos being linked to the recent Pakistan-India border clashes are old and unrelated. Misleading narratives are being spread using outdated footage from unrelated incidents. Always verify before sharing.
