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PIB Fact Check Disputes False Claims Regarding Operation Sindoor

The Press Information Bureau's fact-checking unit has recently flagged misleading social media posts regarding Operation Sindoor. These posts falsely claimed that India had informed Pakistan before the operation began, as well as spreading misinformation about Indian casualties. The PIB clarified that these claims are entirely false, including a viral image misrepresented as showing the last rites of an Indian pilot. This article delves into the details of these false narratives and the PIB's efforts to combat misinformation.
By Narendra Chaudhary May 15, 2025, 21:07 IST
PIB Fact Check Disputes False Claims Regarding Operation Sindoor

Fact Check Unit Addresses Misleading Social Media Posts

On Thursday, the fact-checking division of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) identified a misleading social media post that incorrectly suggested that External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar had stated that India notified Pakistan prior to the commencement of Operation Sindoor.

In a tweet on X, the PIB Fact Check unit clarified, "The social media post inaccurately implies from External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar's statement that India informed Pakistan before the start of #OperationSindoor."


Previous Alerts on Fake Communications

Earlier, the fact-checking unit had warned about a counterfeit letter allegedly from India's Defence Minister directed to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, which was also circulating on social media.


Debunking False Claims of Casualties

The PIB fact-checking unit also addressed another false narrative regarding Indian casualties during Operation Sindoor that emerged on Thursday.


Numerous accounts based in Pakistan shared images on social media, claiming they depicted the last rites of an Indian Air Force Rafale pilot who supposedly died on May 7.

However, the PIB fact-checking unit refuted this assertion as "entirely false," clarifying that the image in question is from 2008 and is unrelated to the current situation.


"An old image is going viral on social media, with many Pakistan-based accounts claiming that it shows the last rites of a Rafale pilot of the #IndianAirForce who died on 7 May 2025. This claim is completely fake. The image is actually from 2008 and unrelated to the current context," the PIB fact-checking unit stated on X.