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
Update: This article is updated to include additional visuals that were attributed to Indian Army’s retaliatory strikes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terrorist attack.
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 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: Old and unrelated videos are being circulated as visuals of the Indian Army’s retaliatory action after the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. These videos predate the incident and are unrelated to the Indian Army’s recent operations. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Update (02 May 2025):
Video 13
This video is being shared with the claim that it shows Indian Sukhoi jets successfully entering Pakistani airspace and displaying military strength along the Sindh coastline, amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to an extended version of the same footage, which was uploaded on the official YouTube channel of the Russian Ministry of Defence on 28 April 2020. The description stated that the visuals show Su-24, Su-30SM, and Su-27 aircraft of the Baltic Fleet conducting scheduled training flights to carry out airstrikes on surface targets in the Baltic Sea. This clearly indicates that the visuals are unrelated to the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. The same video was also shared on their official Facebook page.
Update (01 May 2025):
Video 11
A video (here, here, and here) showing a fire raging in a green field with thick smoke rising into the sky is shared claiming that the Indian Army shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet.
A reverse image search of the viral video led to a Facebook post from 4 June 2024 featuring the same visuals, confirming that it predates the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam attack and is unrelated to it. The post stated that the incident occurred in Shirasgaon, Niphad taluka, Nashik, where an IAF Su-30 MKI crashed during a training sortie; both pilots ejected safely. A longer version of the video was also shared by X handle of Lokmat Times on 4 June 2025, further verifying the crash location and the pilots’ safety. Media reports (here, here and here) revealed that the aircraft had taken off from HAL’s Ozar facility and crashed due to a mid-air technical snag, with no casualties reported. On 29 April 2025, PIB Fact Check debunked claims by pro-Pakistan accounts that the video showed a Pakistani strike on an Indian jet, clarifying that it actually depicts the June 2024 crash in Maharashtra, not a cross-border military incident. This confirms that the video is unrelated to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Video 12
Another video (here, here and here) of people firing from a helicopter is being claimed that it shows the Indian Army mission after Pahalgam terrorist attack.
A reverse image search of the viral video’s keyframes led us to a Facebook post by a user named ‘JJmoncada‘ dated 23 March 2025, clearly predating the 22 April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The original video contains a watermark of ‘JJmoncada‘, which has been covered with the word ‘Pahalgam‘. The Facebook account features posts entirely in Spanish, many of which mention Colombia and showcase Colombian Army activities such as jungle training, portable cooking, and fishing. The page’s ‘About’ section even describes the user as “Colombia’s most popular bachelor,” further confirming the video’s non-Indian origin and its unrelatedness to the Pahalgam incident.
Update (30 April 2025):
Video 9:
A video (here & here) claims to show the Indian Army destroying the Pakistani outposts at the Line of Control.
A reverse image search of the keyframes extracted from the viral video led us to the same video (here & here) uploaded on X on 11 May 2023 by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a political party in Pakistan. The post states that the video shows protests by Imran Khan’s supporters on Kashmir Highway (now Srinagar Highway) in Islamabad, Pakistan, following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on 09 May 2023. According to media reports, PTI supporters in Islamabad and Rawalpindi took to the streets in May 2023 to protest the arrest of their party chairman. The police reportedly fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, who had blocked several roads and highways.
Video 10:
A video (here, here & here) depicting multiple explosions claims to show the Indian Army’s attack in Sialkot, Pakistan.
A reverse image search of the keyframes extracted from the viral video led us to the original video uploaded by journalist Baker Atyani on 09 November 2023. The description states that the video shows an Israeli attack on the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza, where several people were killed and injured. Further searches led us to news reports by Al Jazeera and The Sun, featuring the same video. According to these reports, the area surrounding the Indonesian hospital in North Gaza was attacked by Israeli fighter jets on 09 November 2023.
Published (25 April 2025):
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. Several news reports covering this incident can be found here and here.
According to news reports, the army stated that explosions took place at the houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba members linked to the Pahalgam terror attack, destroying both houses. Officials said that security forces had gone to search the residences of two terrorists — Asif Fauji, also known as Asif Sheikh, and Adil Thokar, also known as Adil Guri — from Tral in South Kashmir, when the blasts occurred. Fortunately, the security personnel managed to escape unharmed. During the search, they discovered that explosives had been planted inside the houses and were triggered. The alert forces quickly evacuated the area, and shortly afterwards, an explosion occurred. Reports suggest that the terrorists had planted the explosives in advance, intending to cause casualties during search operations and mislead security forces by providing information about these locations.
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.
Video 7
The video shows soldiers firing at the enemy, which is being circulated on social media (here and here), claiming that “Pakistan has resumed firing along the LoC, escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The Indian Army has responded strongly, leading to the death of four Pakistani soldiers.”
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to multiple social media posts featuring the same video, which has been online since at least 2021 (here, here, and here). While we cannot confirm the exact time or location of the video, we can confirm that it is not recent and is unrelated to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Video 8
The viral video claims to show multiple explosions at a Pakistan Army ammunition depot following an attack by the Indian Army in Leepa Valley.
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to an X post (archived) dated 20 March 2022. Featuring the same video, the post stated, “Multiple explosions heard in #Sialkot. What’s happening there? Any information? No official statement by authorities yet. Several videos are circulating on social media.”
Using relevant keywords like “Sialkot”, “explosion”, and “2022”, we found multiple reports featuring the same video (here and here). According to the reports, “Multiple explosions occurred at a military base in northern Pakistan’s Sialkot. Initial indications suggest it was an ammunition storage area. A large fire was reported, and the cause remains unconfirmed. A tremendous explosion was heard near the cantonment area in Punjab province.”
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