NEW DELHI: Amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan following India's retaliatory Operation Sindoor, social media has seen a surge in misleading videos. One such video, widely shared as footage of a drone strike in Jalandhar, has been debunked by the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check Unit. PIB clarified that the video does not depict a drone attack but shows a farm fire. Crucially, the video is timestamped at 7:39 PM, whereas the drone strikes launched by Pakistan occurred later. This was further confirmed by the District Collector of Jalandhar, who called the viral clip disinformation. "Do not share this video," PIB warned in its post, urging the public to avoid spreading unverified content.
The Jalandhar video is one of several pieces of misinformation that emerged in the wake of India’s precision strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. Between Wednesday night and early Thursday, PIB’s fact-checking team exposed seven such false claims circulating on social media, many originating from Pakistani sources. These included a fabricated video claiming a Pakistani army attack destroyed an Indian post, which referenced a non-existent “20 Raj Battalion”; another showing a 2020 Beirut explosion passed off as a Pakistani missile strike on India; and a forged letter attributed to a fictitious Chief of Army Staff, Gen VK Narayan. PIB has reiterated its call for vigilance, urging citizens to verify content before sharing and rely only on official sources during sensitive times.
The Centre has debunked claims of a drone attack in Jalandhar, the destruction of a non-existent Indian Army post, and five other attempts at spreading disinformation via social media. The clarification comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which prompted New Delhi’s retaliatory ‘Operation Sindoor’. On Friday, May 9, 2025, the Government of India released a report outlining seven instances of disinformation identified between 10:00 PM on May 8 and 6:30 PM on May 9. The fact-check unit reviewed widely circulated fake videos and claims, allegedly originating from Pakistani social media handles and amplified by some Indian media channels. Many of these were aimed at misrepresenting India’s military actions and preparedness, the government said.
The debunked claims include a fake drone attack footage in Jalandhar: a viral video showing an alleged drone strike was confirmed to be footage of a farm fire, unrelated in both timing and context. Alleged fidayeen attack in Rajouri: no such incident occurred, as verified by the government agencies. False claim of Indian post destroyed: a video claiming the destruction of a military post by a so-called ‘20 Raj Battalion’ was found to be entirely fabricated; no such unit exists. Ambala Airbase disinformation: claims that the Indian military attacked civilians from Ambala Airbase were dismissed as baseless. Misattributed missile attack video: a video of the 2020 Beirut explosion was falsely circulated as footage of a Pakistani missile strike on India. Airport entry ban hoax: no airport access restrictions have been imposed, despite viral social media claims suggesting otherwise. Forged letter from non-existent CoAS: a purported confidential military letter signed by a ‘Gen VK Narayan’—a fictitious name—was exposed as fake.
The Centre has released fact-check links for each case and urged citizens and media professionals to verify information through official sources before sharing or amplifying it. Operation Sindoor involved Rafale jets deploying SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs to hit militant sites in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot and Muzaffarabad. Pakistan condemned the strikes.
A few drones were spotted in the skies over Jalandhar, but they were neutralised by Indian forces. Soon after, a video was shared on social media with the claim that the drone attack had caused a massive fire in Jalandhar. The video was amplified without fact-checking, with many downloading and sharing the video, and others liking and reposting it. However, PIB’s Fact Check unit, which has been quite active since Operation Sindoor against Pakistan to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, has debunked the viral claim. It clarified that the video is unrelated to the recent incident. PIB Fact Check found the viral claim to be FALSE.
The Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar also debunked the viral video. “This is an unrelated video,” he said in a statement on Facebook. The Deputy Commissioner added, “Jalandhar has seen some drones tonight and they are being neutralised by the Army. This video is at 7.39 PM, as can be seen in the display, while the first drone was sighted near 9 PM. This has been confirmed as a farm fire,” before urging people not to circulate the video. In a separate post, he wrote, “All drones have been neutralised at 11.20 PM in Jalandhar as per official sources.”
In Pathankot district, some locals claimed they heard explosion-like sounds. However, there was no official confirmation in this regard. "There was loud noise, like sounds of bombing, and also non-stop sirens. It was too scary," said a resident of Sujanpur in Pathankot. Air raid warning sirens were activated in Pathankot where the blackout was enforced around 8:30 PM. Authorities appealed to people to keep their lights switched off and stay at home. They also said there was no need to panic. Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal asked citizens in the border district to remain inside their homes and follow the protocols of the blackout. Officials said the blackout was enforced as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of citizens.
Meanwhile, the Mohali district administration declared jurisdiction of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar as 'No Flying Zone' for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from May 8 until July 5. However, this order shall not be applicable on law enforcement agencies—police, paramilitary, air force, SPG personnel and persons authorized by competent government authority. Punjab is in alert mode with schools in border districts closed and leaves of all police personnel cancelled, officials said a day after India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
