S-400 Defence System Intact, No IAF Pilot Captured: PIB Debunks Pakistan's Fake News Campaigns

As tensions continue to escalate between India and Pakistan, with Islamabad launching a fresh wave of drone and missile attacks targeting 26 locations along the western borders for the second straight night on Friday, social media has been flooded with unverified claims, sparking panic and confusion among people in India.

Given the senitivity of the matter and the seriousness the ongoing situation holds, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Saturday fact-checked several claims being made on social media, aiming to debunk the misinformation, disinformation, and lies being pushed by Pakistan as part of a larger psychological warfare effort.

 Here are some of the claims fact-checked by PIB on Saturday, May 10:

  • A post claiming that Pakistan destroyed India's S-400 air defence sytem was being circulated on social media. However, PIB found this claim to be fake and rejected all reports of destruction or any damage to an S-400 defence system as basless. This claim was also rubbished during a government press briefing today, where Col Sofiya Qureshi said: "Pakistan spread misinformation on social media, falsely claiming it had targeted the S-400 air defence systems at Adampur, Suratgarh, and Sirsa Air Force Stations, BrahMos base and others." "India strongly denies these false narratives," she stressed.

    Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also asserted that the claims regarding India's air defence system were fake. "There is a claim that has been made that the S-400 base at Adhampur was destroyed; once again, that is completely false," he said at the briefing. 

  • A post shared by Al Jazeera claimed that around 10 explosions took place near Srinagar Airport in Jammu and Kashmir. PIB has rejected this claim as fake and urged people to only rely on offiicial sources for authentic information. "Do not fall for these false claims intended to #mislead and cause confusion," it said.

  • A video claiming explosions at the Jaipur Airport was being circulated on social media. When PIB fact-checked it, it turned out that the claims were fake. The District Collector and Magistrate, Jaipur also issued a clarification regarding this, saying, "This news is baseless and misleading. Jaipur airport is completely safe."

  • Another video being circulated on social media claimed that an Indian post was destroyed in an airstrike by Pakistan. PIB investigated the video and found out that it was an old and unrelated video. It was originally uploaded on YouTube five years ago on November 15, 2020. 

  • A claim that the Delhi-Mumbai airline route was temporarily closed for service due to the rising tensions between India and Pakistan was also fact-checked by PIB. The claim was found to be fake. "The Airports Authority of India has extended the temporary closure of 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi & Mumbai Flight Information Regions due to operational reasons," PIB's Fact Check unit said.

  • Another claim of India's electricity grid becoming dysfunctional following a cyber attack by the Pakistani Army was being widely circulated. The PIB called the claims false, saying "Social media posts are asserting that a cyber attack by Pakistan caused 70 percent of India's electricity grid to become dysfunctional. The claim is fake".

  • Several "pro-Pakistan" social media accounts have been claimin that three Indian fighter jets crashed in different Himalayan regions, sharing an image of a crashed jet along with it. However, PIB called the claim fake, adding that the image is an old one and dates back to 2016. 

  • Another video post claimed that an Indian pilot ejected from a fighter jet over Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The video's caption stated that the video was from PoK's Kotli. However, PIB fact-checked the video and called it fake. It also urged people to always verify before sharing anything and not to fall for misinformation.

  • As Pakistan continued to launch missiles and drones on Saturday, following escalations on Friday, rumours regading a missile attack on Delhi Airport began spreading among people. Amid this, an old video being falsely shared a footage of a missile strike on the airport was being circulated. When PIB investigated it, it turned out to be video from Aden in Yemen from August, 2024. The fact check unit said the video has "no connection to India-Pakistan situation".

  • A viral post claiming that the Bhatinda Airfield has been destroyed also created confusion among people. The government has clarified that the Bathinda airfield is "FULLY OPERATIONAL and there is NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER." 

  • PIB Fact Check has also refuted that Indian Female Air Force pilot has been captured in Pakistan. "Pro-Pakistan social media handles claim that an Indian Female Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Shivani Singh, has been captured in Pakistan. This claim is FAKE!" it said.

  • A video shared on social media claimed that India has carried out a drone attack on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara. However, PIB's Fact Check unit has said that this claim is fake. "This claim is completely fake. Such content is created to spread communal hatred. Please be cautious. Do not forward such videos," it stated.

  • In another fact check, PIB rejected a post claiming that Indian soldiers are crying and abandoning their posts as the India-Pakistan war intensifies.

    In a post on X, PIB Fact Check stated: "In an old video, it is being claimed that Indian soldiers are crying and abandoning their posts as the India-Pakistan war intensifies. This video was posted on Instagram on April 27 and is NOT related to the Indian Army! The video depicts students from a private defense coaching institute celebrating their selection into the Indian Army. The youth in the video reportedly became emotional with joy upon receiving news of their successful recruitment."

On Friday, PIB had fact-checked seven such claims, including fidayeen attack on army brigade in Jammu, drone attack in Jalandhar, destruction of Indian post, and bans on airport, among others. 

"Indian media and social media users have been falling for misinformation. The fact-check unit of PIB put the record straight and debunked misinformation, disinformation and outright lies," it said.

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