New Delhi/Jammu, May 9: The Indian government has debunked social media claims suggesting a suicide bombing at an Army brigade in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, and a drone attack in Jalandhar, Punjab, calling them “fake news.”
According to the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check Unit, no such “fidayeen” attack occurred at any Army base in J&K, and the video circulated as evidence of a drone strike in Jalandhar was actually footage of a farm fire, as confirmed by the district collector.
Between 10 PM on May 8 and 6:30 AM on May 9, the PIB verified seven such misleading videos. One clip alleged to show a Pakistani missile strike on India was actually footage from the 2020 Beirut explosion. Another falsely claimed Pakistani forces destroyed an Indian Army post manned by a fictional “20 Raj Battalion.”
The PIB also flagged an old video of an oil tanker explosion from 2021 as being falsely presented as an attack on Gujarat’s Hazira Port. A fake letter attributed to a non-existent Indian Army Chief, “Gen V K Narayan,” was also exposed.
In another debunked claim, a video alleged that India launched airstrikes from its Ambala airbase, which the PIB confirmed was untrue. A Ministry of Defence statement was cited to clarify the situation.
The PIB warned of a coordinated campaign—particularly from Pakistani social media and some mainstream outlets—designed to spread fear and misinformation amid heightened tensions following India’s recent defense actions against Pakistani drone and missile threats.
Citizens are urged to avoid sharing unverified content and to rely on official sources for accurate information.
