A video is circulating on social media (here, here and here) claiming that an Indian fighter helicopter was shot down by freedom fighters in Manipur. A user captioned “The #Indian fighter helicopter shot down by freedom fighters in #Manipur.” Let’s investigate the truth behind this claim.
Claim: Indian fighter helicopter was shot down by freedom fighters in Manipur.
Fact: The video is from Myanmar and shows the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) shooting down a Myanmar military junta helicopter using MANPADS. However, Resonant News mentioned that it is unclear when the incident exactly took place. The video was published on 6 September 2024. The video has no connection to Manipur. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to several YouTube videos (here and here) published on 06 September 2024. One of these videos revealed that the KIA shot down a Myanmar military helicopter, possibly a Mil Mi-17, over Waingmaw, Shan. The group used a rare Chinese FN-6 (Feinu-6) man-portable air-defecse system, possibly obtained from the United Wa State Army (UWSA), to destroy the helicopter.
Taking a clue from the video description, a Google keyword search led us to X handles like Big Breaking Wire and Resonant News, where they posted the same footage, stating that it shows the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) shooting down a Myanmar military junta helicopter using MANPADS. However, Resonant News mentioned that it is unclear when the incident exactly took place. The video was published on 6 September 2024. This confirmed that the video is not from India but from Myanmar.
On 09 September 2024, PIB Fact Check also clarified that the viral video is from Myanmar and is unrelated to Manipur, India.
To sum up, an unrelated video from Myanmar is falsely shared as an Indian helicopter being shot down by freedom fighters in Manipur.
