Fake News Alert! India rejects 'fidayeen attack' reports on Army brigade in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir
The Fact Check unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Thursday night debunked several news inputs doing the rounds on social media, one of them claiming that an Army brigade was under a "fidayeen" attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri sector.
"#Fake_news is circulating about a "fidayeen" attack on an Army brigade in #Rajouri, #Jammu and #Kashmir… No such #fidayeen or suicide attack has occurred on any army cantt," the PIB Fact Check Unit said in a post on X.
It also advised social media users to not believe 'propaganda being spread by Pakistani handles' and instead rely only on official information.
Pakistan on Thursday evening attempted to target Jammu airport, prompting total blackout in Jammu and several other cities in northern India, an ANI report said.
In another post, PIB's Fact Check Unit released a WhatsApp number and an email id for social media users to report dubious content concerning the Indian Armed Forces.
'In the coming days your social media will be flooded with #Pakistan sponsored propaganda. It's crucial to scrutinize every piece of information carefully. If you encounter dubious content, especially concerning the Indian Armed Forces or any info related to ongoing situation, report it to #PIBFactCheck,' PIB wrote.
Users shared a video claiming to be of Pakistan's missile attack on India in retaliation to Operation Sindoor. The video however is of the explosion that took place in Beirut in 2020.
The unit, in a post on X shared, 'An #old video is being shared on #SocialMedia with the claim that #Pakistan has launched a missile attack on India in retaliation… The video being shared is of the explosive attack that took place in Beirut, Lebanon in the year 2020…'
Social media posts claiming that entry to airports across India has been banned as completely false. The government has taken no such decision, it said.
The PIB has also junked a letter being shared on social media claiming that 'Chief of the Army Staff General VK Narayan' has sent a confidential letter regarding military preparedness to the Army officer of Northern Command.
'This letter is completely Fake. Gen. V.K. Narayan is not CoAS. Avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from the Government of India for accurate information,' the PIB post said.
A social media post claiming that the Indian military used Ambala Airbase to attack Amritsar and its own citizens is also fake, PIB said. India targetting the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project in Pakistan is fake news as well.
'This claim is baseless. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has clearly stated in a press conference that India has only targeted terrorist infrastructure,' the PIB added.
'Pakistan-based handles are circulating a video claiming that the Pakistan Army strikes posts in Battal Sector, Jammu & Kashmir, eliminating at least 12 Indian soldiers,' another PIB post on X said.
'This video is old and NOT related to any activity post #OperationSindoor… This image is from August 2011… It has also been used in a news report from 2016…' the post added.
A video alleging that an Indian Post was destroyed by the Pakistani Army has also been junked by the PIB Fact Check Unit.
"Fake video is being circulated by Pakistani handles alleging that an Indian Post was destroyed by the #Pakistani Army… The claim is completely false, and the video is staged… There is no unit called '20 Raj Battalion" in the #IndianArmy… This is part of a coordinated propaganda campaign aimed at creating panic and misleading the public," PIB's post on X said.
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