New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): A misleading image showing a crashed aircraft is being circulated by pro-Pakistan handles in connection with Operation Sindoor.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that the image is from a previous incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29 fighter jet that crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, in September 2024.

The crash was not related to the ongoing operations and occurred due to a technical issue. The pilot involved in the crash survived the incident. PIB emphasized that the image has no connection to the current military activities or events linked to Operation Sindoor.

PIB also urged the public to refrain from spreading false information and to rely on official sources for updates regarding national security and defense operations.

Earlier, the Fact Check unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) exposed yet another misinformation campaign by Pakistan-based social media handles, which are trying to blatantly hijack the narrative and distract from the on-ground reality.

The post shared by a Pakistani user named Shamil Jawani (@ShamilJawani1) alleged 'numerous casualties' and 'several critically injured' at the Amritsar base, using hashtags like #IndiaPakistanWar, #OperationSindoor, and #Pakistan.

The PIB Fact Check stamped the video as 'FAKE' and issued a warning against the spread of unverified information, labelling it a 'Pakistan Propaganda Alert'.

The unit clarified that the video accompanying the claim is an old clip from a 2024 wildfire, unrelated to any military operation or strike.

The PIB urged the public to rely solely on official sources from the Government of India for accurate updates.

'Pakistan-based handles are spreading old videos falsely alleging strikes on a military base in Amritsar. #PIBFactCheck: The video being shared is from a wildfire from 2024. Avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from the Government of India for accurate information,' the PIB stated in its post.

The Pakistani side has jumped into a misinformation war against India following India's precision missile strikes targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor.

It shows Pakistan's desperate attempt to shift the focus with a barrage of lies and digital theatrics.

Pakistan's state-affiliated accounts have turned to their familiar playbook of recycling outdated images, misrepresenting old videos, and inventing completely fabricated claims to flood the information space with falsehoods so quickly and overwhelmingly that it becomes difficult to separate fact from fiction. (ANI)