Shouting it Out: The Untrue Warning Circulating Online
Authorities Issue Misleading Warning Following 'Operation Sindoor'; Advises Caution
In the heat of the aftermath of 'Operation Sindoor'- a successful Indian military operation targeting nine terror sites across Pakistan and PoK- a bogus directive has stirred up in the digital world.
This phony advisory, masquerading as an official statement, claims that citizens are expected to remain calm and prepare for the worst by stocking up on non-perishable food, medicines, and ensuring emergency contacts are readily available. Yet, the Indian government's fact-checking arm, Press Information Bureau (PIB), has revealed this claim to be nothing but a fabrication.
PIB Fact Check declared, "An image of an advisory being shared online is a HOAX. The government has not issued such an advisory." They went on to advise citizens, "Trust only legitimate government sources for credible information," further discrediting the rumor and warning against the sharing of unverified claims.
Yet, in the chaos following Operation Sindoor, a torrent of false information flooded social media platforms, particularly from Pakistani news outlets and government-linked handles.
In their fervor to counterattack, Pakistani media and social media users began churning out baseless narratives, such as claims of retaliatory attacks by Pakistan on Indian soil, like the alleged destruction of Srinagar Airbase and an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters.
By and large, these claims were disseminated by high-profile accounts connected to Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), and came devoid of any tangible evidence, visual proof, or satellite imagery to back up the assertions.
PIB Fact Check, in response, denounced these false claims as well. Speaking about a viral video of a supposed attack on Srinagar Airbase, they stated, "The video shared by multiple pro-Pakistan handles is FAKE. The video is from an event that occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan in 2024."
Moreover, they countered another viral falsehood that suggested Pakistan had destroyed an Indian Brigade Headquarters, stating, "Claims of the destruction of an Indian Brigade Headquarters are UNTRUE. It is essential to refrain from sharing unverified information and rely solely on official sources from the Government of India for accurate information."
Nevertheless, expert fact-checkers and digital forensic teams discovered that images and videos used to substantiate the disinformation were either tampered with or originated from unrelated and unrelated past incidents.
Regrettably, this dearth of authenticity did not slow the spread of these unfounded claims, as they were frequently amplified by sections of the Pakistani mainstream media.
The Indian government, in response, has urged citizens and the media to remain vigilant and only trust authenticated information released by official sources.
- Despite the Indian government's fact-check from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunking a hoax advisory about citizens preparing for potential war, Pakistan's media and social media users still allegedly shared baseless narratives.
- These baseless narratives included claims of retaliatory attacks by Pakistan, like the alleged destruction of Srinagar Airbase and an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters, which were denounced as false by PIB Fact Check.
- The video of a supposed attack on Srinagar Airbase, shared by pro-Pakistan handles, was declared fake by PIB Fact Check, originating from an event in Pakistan in 2024, not the recent operation.
- Pakistani claims of destroying an Indian Brigade Headquarters were also found to be untrue, with PIB Fact Check urging the public to refrain from sharing unverified information and trust only official sources from the Government of India for accurate information in the context of war-and-conflicts and general news.
