Viral video does not show Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul

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 source.

Posts from multiple users on social media platform X on October 9, 2025, shared a video, claiming to show the Pakistan Air Force conducting airstrikes on terrorist hideouts in Kabul. However, the video is old and shared as far back as the breakout of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.

An explosion was reported in Kabul late on the night of Oct 9, with Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirming the incident and stating that investigations were underway, while no damage had been reported. Meanwhile, journalists noted that two explosions were heard around 9:50pm local time, prompting a heavy security presence, vehicle searches, and mobile network disruptions in several areas of the city.

The Afghan Taliban accused Pakistan the next day of bombing a border town.

HOW IT STARTED

On Oct 9, a user who appears to be a PML-N supporter based on his previous posts, shared a video of airstrikes claiming to be from Kabul.

The post was captioned: “Kabul trembled. The Pakistani Air Force targeted hideouts of anti-Pakistan terrorists in Afghanistan. No safe haven will remain for the terrorists. The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Army are a strong guarantee for the protection of the nation.”

The post gained 48,000 views.

The same video, along with a similar claim, was also shared by several PML-N supporters and pro-military accounts, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, and here, collectively gaining more than 72,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the security situation in Kabul.

Observing the video shows multiple explosions in the location within a short timeframe whereas the Afghan Taliban had only confirmed one explosion while journalists from AFP and Reuters had reported two.

A reverse image search yielded a video shared by a pro-Palestinian user on X on Oct 23, 2023. The caption of the post read: “Gaza tonight. Journalists describe it as the most violent night yet. Dozens are confirmed killed by airstrikes targeting homes from the northern tip of Gaza to its south.”

Other users had also shared the clip around the same date as can be seen here and here.

The same clip was also found in the context of the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza on October 12, 2023, as can be seen here.

The conflict had escalated earlier that month when Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people. In response, Israel began extensive airstrikes on Gaza.

The same video was previously shared in May 2025 as well, with claims that it showed airstrikes conducted by India on Pakistan, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Separately, a keyword search yielded the same video, dated Oct 23, 2023, on the website of Arabic news aggregator Nabd.

The title of the video said: “Heavy Israeli bombardment on Gaza at this time. Gaza is currently being subjected to heavy Israeli bombardment targeting areas in the northern part of the Strip, with civilian homes being the main target.”

## FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul is false.

The video is old and has been shared as far back as Oct 2023 when the Gaza conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas.