Old and unrelated videos are being shared as visuals of the Indian Army’s retaliatory strikes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terrorist attack on 22 April 2025
On 22 April 2025, a terrorist attack targeting tourists occurred in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), a designated terrorist organisation, claimed responsibility for the attack. According to multiple media reports (here & here), the attackers indiscriminately opened fire on male non-Muslim tourists after reportedly questioning them about their religion. So far, 26 people have lost their lives in the incident, with several others injured (here & here). Following the Pahalgam attack, India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, expelled Pakistani military advisors from New Delhi, and withdrew its own military advisors from Islamabad. All Pakistani nationals with SAARC visas were told to leave within 48 hours, and Indian citizens were advised to return from Pakistan immediately. The Indian Army began search operations, intensified in Jammu and Kashmir, with terrorists killed in Kulgam and Baramulla. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Kashmir on 25 April 2025 to review the situation.
In the aftermath, several videos have surfaced on social media, with claims suggesting they show the Indian Army’s retaliatory attacks on terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir. In this article, we will verify the authenticity of these claims.
Claim: Visuals show the Indian Army’s retaliatory strikes on terrorists following the Pahalgam attack on 22 April 2025.
Fact: These visuals are old and unrelated to the Indian Army’s retaliatory strikes after the Pahalgam attack on 22 April 2025. The first video is from 2020, showing the Army’s response to ceasefire violations in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. The second video is circulating since August 2022, and it is unrelated to the Pahalgam attack. The third video predates the Pahalgam attack. The fourth video is from May 2021, and shows an encounter in Kokernag, Jammu & Kashmir. The fifth video is from November 2024, covers Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut, killing at least five medics. The sixth video has been on the internet for two years, making it clear it is unrelated to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Hence, the claims made in these posts are FALSE.
Video 1
The video claims to show the Indian Army’s retaliation after the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack (here, here & here). A user sharing it claimed that at least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed and multiple posts destroyed during heavy shelling in the Tatta Pani sector.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to multiple social media posts from 2020 featuring the same visuals (here & here), confirming that the video predates the Pahalgam terror attack.
We also found a video report shared by Republic Bharat on 14 June 2020, which featured the same visuals but in an inverted format. According to the report, the video shows Indian Army’s strong response to ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
Video 2
The video claims to show the Indian Army shooting a terrorist following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir (here & here). A user shared the video with the caption, “Pahalgam’s revenge is complete.”
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to its publication on the website BestGore.fun on 19 August 2022. The site is known for hosting graphic and explicit content, including videos and images of death, violence, and gore. Additionally, we found that the video was online well before the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025.
However, we could not independently verify the exact date or location of the video. Since it predates the Pahalgam attack in 2025, it is also not related.
Video 3
The video claims to show a terrorist encounter following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to an Instagram post dated 01 April 2025, which featured the same video (archived) and claimed it showed an encounter in Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir—confirming that the video predates the Pahalgam terror attack.
However, we could not independently verify the exact date or location of the video. Since it predates the Pahalgam attack in 2025, it is also not related.
Video 4
This video claims to show the Indian Army in action, with artillery firing reportedly killing 12 Pakistani soldiers and destroying two posts and three artillery bases. The post also mentions feeling relieved after mourning the Pahalgam terror incident. We have also received several queries on our WhatsApp tipline (+91 92470 52470) asking us to verify the video.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to the same video published by the Excelsior News YouTube channel on 12 May 2021. The video is reported to show an encounter in Kokernag, Jammu & Kashmir, where militants tried to escape but were eventually killed. This confirms that the video is unrelated to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Video 5
The video claims to show visuals of a building being demolished by a missile by the Indian Army in Pakistan following the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to multiple news reports from November 2024 featuring the same visuals from a different angle (here, here & here). According to the reports, Israeli strikes targeted southern Lebanon and the outskirts of Beirut on 22 November 2024, killing at least five medics, while ground troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters in the south. This confirms that the video is unrelated to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Video 6
The video claims to show the Indian army firing mortars at Pakistan following the 2025 Phalgam terror attack.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to the same video posted on Reddit two years ago. This clearly shows that the video was on the internet well before the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, confirming that the video is unrelated to the attack.
However, we could not independently verify the exact date or location of the video. Since it predates the Pahalgam attack in 2025, it is also not related.
To sum up, old and unrelated videos are being shared as visuals of the Indian Army’s retaliatory strikes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terrorist attack on 22 April 2025