Syria continues to face intense conflict, with heavy airstrikes targeting Aleppo, Homs, and nearby regions, leading to significant civilian casualties and displacement. Amid reports of Syrian rebels capturing key areas of Damascus, effectively ending Bashar al-Assad’s decades-long rule, questions persist regarding his whereabouts. Adding to the uncertainty, a 7-second video (here and here) has surfaced, purportedly showing an aircraft crash, with claims suggesting the plane was carrying Assad when it crashed near Homs. Let’s investigate the authenticity of this video.
Claim: Visuals of an aircraft crash event that was carrying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Fact: The visuals in the video show the incident on 02 September 2024, when a MiG-29 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, during a routine training mission. The flight was owned by the Indian Air Force, and the crash was caused by a technical snag. The pilot ejected safely. The visuals have nothing to do with Syria. Though there have been unconfirmed reports about a flight from Syria disappearing from the radar, there is no definitive information whether Bashar al-Assad was in the flight. Hence the claim is FALSE.
To investigate the authenticity of the video, we conducted a reverse image search on Google. This led us to the same 7-second video posted by the X handle “Eagle Eye” on 02 September 2024. The caption reads, “A MiG-29 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed near the Uttarlai Airbase in Bandra, Barmer.” Barmer is located in Rajasthan, India, not near Homs in Syria.
Further research led us to a video posted by NDTV on YouTube on 02 September 2024. The video shows the crash of a MiG-29 aircraft, with the caption, “MiG 29 Crash | MiG-29 Fighter Jet Crashes In Rajasthan, Pilot Safe.” The video clearly identifies the incident as occurring in Rajasthan, India, and confirms that the pilot was safe.
After conducting an in-depth review of the incident, we found multiple news reports (here, here and here) confirming the details. On 02 September 2024, a MiG-29 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, during a routine night training mission. According to these reports, the crash was caused by a “critical technical snag,” which prompted the pilot to eject safely. There were no casualties or damage to property, as the crash occurred in an area away from populated regions. The jet caught fire after the crash, but no fatalities were reported on the ground. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident further.
Moreover, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed the incident through an official post on their X (formerly Twitter) handle on 02 September 2024. They stated, “During a routine night training mission in Barmer sector, an IAF MiG-29 encountered a critical technical snag, forcing the pilot to eject. The pilot is safe and no loss of life or property was reported. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered.”
According to BBC news, following the fall of Damascus, Assad fled to Moscow, reportedly granted asylum after resigning. Additionally, there were unconfirmed reports (here and here) about a flight from Syria disappearing from the radar. However, there is no definitive information on whether Bashar al-Assad was on the flight
To sum up, the visuals of an IAF aircraft crashing in Rajasthan were falsely shared as the plane crash of Bashar al-Assad.
