logo
Clip of Pakistan general saying country 'lost jets' is doctored

Clip of Pakistan general saying country 'lost jets' is doctored

AFP20-05-2025
of Pakistan's military spokesman has been manipulated to make it appear he announced Islamabad lost three fighter jets during its recent conflict with India. The video shows Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudry talking about army intelligence operations in December 2024.
"Breaking News Pakistan confirms loss of 2 JF-17s to Indian SAMs -- 1 F-16 also SHOT DOWN," reads an English-language Facebook post on May 8, 2025.
The accompanying video appears to show Chaudry at a podium saying: "I regret to confirm that two J-F 17's aircraft were lost during active duty. This loss isn't just numbers for us, it represents a blow to our morale."
Image
Screenshot of the false post, taken May 20, 2025
Similar posts sharing the video also surfaced elsewhere on Facebook and on TikTok in the days after India said it launched strikes against "terrorist camps" in Pakistan in retaliation for a deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad (archived link). Pakistan denies the accusation.
The nuclear-armed rivals traded fire for four days before US President Donald Trump announced a truce on May 10. The flare-up in violence was the worst since the rivals' last open conflict in 1999 and sparked global shudders that it could spiral into full-blown war.
Pakistan has not said it lost military aircraft as of .
Its military claims to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three advanced French Rafale aircraft, all of which were in Indian airspace at the time. India has not disclosed any losses.
Reverse image and keyword searches found the manipulated video -- where the spokesperson's lips can be seen glitching -- matches footage from a press conference in December 27, 2024 published by the Pakistan military's public relations wing ISPR (archived link).
and anti-terrorism forces have conducted 59,775 intelligence-based operations of different categories," says in the presser. "During these successful operations 925 terrorists were killed."
Image
Screenshot comparison of false post (left) and the ISPR video of the press conference (right).
An analysis of the audio in the circulating clip using the voice cloning detection tool Hiya tool in the Verification Plugin, also known as InVID-WeVerify, found it is "very likely AI-generated" (archived link).
Image
Screenshot of InVid audio detection test. Taken by AFP on May 13, 2025.
AFP has debunked misinformation surrounding the India-Pakistan conflict here.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Have Dutch police arrested Israelis for war crimes?
Have Dutch police arrested Israelis for war crimes?

Euronews

time7 hours ago

  • Euronews

Have Dutch police arrested Israelis for war crimes?

Images have been shared on social media in recent days, allegedly showing Israeli military personnel being arrested by Dutch police. One photograph shows a police officer guiding a young woman by the arm. The caption shared alongside the picture in several posts states that it shows an Israeli named 'Yukhal Yulita' being arrested. "BREAKING: Dutch police have hauled in Israeli officer Yukhal Yulita while she vacationed in Europe — accused by human rights groups of war crimes in Rafah, where Israel massacred civilians and levelled entire neighbourhoods," the post, shared on X, Facebook and LinkedIn, read. Another picture claims to show Dutch police arresting a supposed Israeli major general called 'Shitan Shaul', who is allegedly a commander of the Armoured Corps. Again, social media users say he is being arrested on charges of committing war crimes in Rafah, near the Egyptian border. A British partygoer and an Irish gangster However, reverse image searches for both pictures revealed that the photographs feature different people who were arrested in other countries than claimed in the social media posts. The image shared in posts related to the supposed arrest of Yukhal Yulita dates back to August 2016. It featured in an article published at the time by the British tabloid paper The Daily Mail on people partying in the English city of Newcastle on the August Bank Holiday, which falls on the last Monday of August. In the article, the photograph caption reads: "Police march a petite girl (right) away from the scene in the city centre". Additionally, the label on the police officer's uniform states "police", while in the Netherlands, uniforms have the Dutch word for this role, "politie", written on them. Meanwhile, the picture claiming to illustrate the recent arrest of 'Shitan Shaul' in fact dates to September 2022. This photograph was included in articles by various media outlets on the arrest of "one of Europe's biggest money launderers", named by Irish newspapers as John Francis Morrissey, during a raid in southern Spain. The operation was led by Spain's Guardia Civil—one of the country's two national police forces—of which an officer can be seen to the detainee's left in the photo, as well as the Irish Garda, of which the logo can be seen on the uniform of the person to the right in the picture. None of the uniforms correlates with that of the Dutch police. A spokesperson for the Dutch National Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed to Euroverify that the Dutch police had not arrested any Israeli citizen going by the name 'Yukhal Yulita' or 'Shitan Shaul'. "No Israeli soldiers have been arrested in the Netherlands for committing war crimes," the spokesperson added. Belgian arrests The same photograph of the young woman being escorted by British police also featured in a viral social media post that again referred to her as an Israeli soldier named 'Yukhal Yulita'. The post stated she was one of two Israelis arrested in Belgium in connection with alleged war crimes. "Belgian police have arrested two Israeli terrorists in connection with allegations of war crimes related to the conflict in Gaza," the post read. "The allegations include serious violations of international humanitarian law, such as the use of human shields and wanton destruction, with evidence drawn from the soldiers' social media activity." Two members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were indeed detained by police in Belgium after a complaint was filed against them by the Belgian-based NGO Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN). They claimed the two, allegedly members of the Givati Brigade, committed serious war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The NGO monitors social media platforms to track Israeli soldiers on leave who post photos from abroad. These are usually preceded by footage from Gaza. Using these posts, the Hind Rajab Foundation calls on host countries to arrest and prosecute them. The soldiers were attending the dance music festival Tomorrowland in Belgium, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office—which received the complaints—confirmed. Here, they were reportedly seen waving their military unit's flag. However, the image of the young woman shared in the viral social media post does not illustrate the Belgian arrest of these two soldiers. The cases were referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). "The International Criminal Court is currently conducting an investigation into possible serious violations of humanitarian law in the Palestinian territories," the Public Prosecutor's Office said. The court in The Hague has issued three public arrest warrants related to the Israel-Gaza conflict since the 7 October attacks. The arrest warrants are for the highest commander of the military wing of Hamas, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. The Hind Rajab Foundation welcomed the decision to refer the cases to the ICC, stating this "confirms that the matter has reached the highest level of international legal attention". However, the NGO was critical of Belgium, arguing it should have gone further. "In our view, the suspects should not only have been arrested, but also detained and either prosecuted in Belgium or extradited to the ICC," a statement read. "Releasing individuals credibly accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity not only undermines public trust in justice, but risks reinforcing a sense of impunity and may enable those individuals to commit further atrocities."

India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties

LeMonde

time9 hours ago

  • LeMonde

India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed "steady progress" in improving relations with China after meeting its top diplomat on Tuesday, August 19, following a years-long standoff between the nuclear-armed Asian powers. Modi noted "respect for each other's interests and sensitiveness" in a statement on social media after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. China's foreign ministry said the countries have entered a "steady development track" and should "trust and support" each other. Wang, on his visit, has also met with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and national security adviser Ajit Doval about the countries' disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. India's Foreign Ministry said Wang and Doval discussed "de-escalation, delimitation, and boundary affairs." The two sides agreed to resume direct flights and issuance of journalist visas and to facilitate business and cultural exchanges, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry. Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. Four Chinese soldiers and 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the worst violence in decades, freezing high-level political engagements. "The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders," Wang said Monday. Modi emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility on the border and reiterated India's commitment to a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question," his office said in a statement. The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the US, along with Australia and Japan. 'Compromise at the highest political level' The chill in relations after the deadly clash in 2020 between troops in the Ladakh region affected trade, diplomacy and air travel, as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Last week, India's foreign ministry said the two countries were discussing resuming trade through three points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border. Both sides will work together toward a consensus on border issues, Wang said after his meeting with Doval, according to China's Foreign Ministry. No specifics were given on what was decided.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store