OPERATED BY CEJ

False

FACT-CHECKED

by CEJ |

Viral video is old and unrelated to Pakistan-India tensions after Pahalgam attack

Posts from Indian accounts on social media platform X since April 23, 2025, shared a video claiming to show the Indian Army retaliating against Pakistan in response to the recent Pahalgam attack. However, the video is old and is unrelated to current events.

Claim

Video of Indian Army retaliating against Pakistan after Pahalgam attack

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search to find the original video.

Posts from Indian accounts on social media platform X since April 23, 2025, shared a video claiming to show the Indian Army retaliating against Pakistan in response to the recent Pahalgam attack. However, the video is old and is unrelated to current events.

On April 22, a terror attack occurred in Pahalgam in India-held Kashmir, leaving over 25 tourists dead and heightening tensions between India and Pakistan. India accused Pakistan of links to the assault, prompting drastic measures such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari border.

HOW IT STARTED

The iVerify Pakistan team was alerted on April 24 about an X post and requested authentication for the content.

On April 23, an Indian propagandist account, known for frequently sharing false and misleading content, posted a video claiming to show the Indian Army retaliating against Pakistan following the recent Pahalgam attack. The footage shows several armed men, followed by a sudden blast, with background voices saying, “Be careful, take it easy.”

In the caption, the user claimed, citing unnamed sources: “Breaking: At least 12 Pakistani soldiers killed, three posts and two artillery positions destroyed after the Indian Army retaliated to a ceasefire violation in the Tatta Pani Sector. Heavy artillery and mortar shelling reported.”

The post was seen by more than 530,000 people.

The same video was shared by another Indian account which gained over 434,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality, to satisfy the public’s request for authentication and because of keen interest in the tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack.

A reverse image search led to a YouTube video from Indian news outlet Republic Bharat, uploaded on June 14, 2020, titled: “J&K: Pakistan violated the ceasefire in Poonch, Indian Army is giving a strong response.”

The news snippet featured the same viral video.

The same video was also shared on Facebook by an account on May 14, 2021.

The origin or original context of the video could not be conclusively determined but it was clear it was unrelated to the current situation.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a video shows the Indian Army retaliating against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack is false.

The video is old and unrelated to current events.

Evidence and References

June 14, 2020, Republic Bharat YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x92gkcBmLF8

May 14, 2021, Facebook video:
https://archive.ph/Xy4GZ