Following the deadly terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 people, a video is circulating on social media claiming to show the Indian Army launching a retaliatory shelling operation against Pakistan.
The above post can be seen here (archive) and here (archive)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the viral video and found the claim to be misleading.
We extracted keyframes from the video and performed a Reverse Image Search. The results revealed that the same video had appeared online multiple times in previous years:
- It was posted on Facebook on May 14, 2021.
- It also featured in a Republic Bharat bulletin on June 14, 2020.
- Digging further, we discovered the same video was shared on April 15, 2020, on a Facebook page, IAF Garud, as well.
While NewsMobile was unable to independently verify the original source or location of the video, the fact that it predates the April 2025 attack confirms that the circulating narrative is false.
Notably, following the Pahalgam incident, the Indian Army did engage in an encounter in Baramulla’s Uri region, neutralising two terrorists. (These reports can be seen here, here and here).
OP TIKKA, Baramulla
On 23 Apr 2025, approximately 2-3 UI terrorists tried to infiltrate through general area Sarjeevan at Uri Nala, Baramulla, the alert tps on LC challenged and intercepted them resulting in a firefight.
Operation is in progress.#Kashmir@adgpi… pic.twitter.com/FOTXiTNYSf
— Chinar Corps🍁 – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) April 23, 2025
In conclusion, the viral video claiming to show a retaliatory strike by the Indian Army after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack is misleading. The footage is old and unrelated to the recent incident.