Jalandhar drone strike video fake; Beirut explosion falsely used to depict India-Pakistan conflict
The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) fact-checking unit swiftly debunked a widely circulating video on social media claiming to show the aftermath of a drone attack in Jalandhar. In a tweet, PIB Fact Check clarified that the video is unrelated and actually depicts a farm fire.
The misleading video, which gained significant traction across various social media platforms, fueled anxieties following yesterday’s confirmed reports of Pakistani drone activity and subsequent precautionary blackout in Jalandhar and neighboring districts.
PIB’s tweet stated, “Drone Attack in Jalandhar. This drone strike video from #Jalandhar is widely circulating on social media. #PIBFactCheck This is an unrelated video of a farm fire. The video has the time 7:39 PM, while the drone attack began later.” The fact-checking unit highlighted a crucial detail visible within the video itself – a timestamp indicating 7:39 PM. This time, PIB pointed out, precedes the period when the confirmed drone activity and the resulting security measures were implemented in Jalandhar.
PIB also identified a widely shared video as old and entirely unrelated to any current India-Pakistan conflict. The government’s fact-check unit said that the video actually depicts the devastating explosive attack that occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, in the year 2020.
Jalandhar