Fact-Check: Debunking Misinformation on ‘Operation Sindoor’

Stay updated with all the fact-checks published by BOOM on ‘Operation Sindoor’, and get informed on the misinformation surrounding the 2025 Indo-Pak conflict.

Published - 15 May 2025 4:39 PM IST

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Fact-Check: Debunking Misinformation on ‘Operation Sindoor’

On May 7, 2025, Indian Army launched 'Operation Sindoor' targeting nine alleged terror outfits in Pakistan, as a retaliatory military action against the April terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Since the military action, several border regions in India have experienced shelling with casualties reported in Kashmir and Punjab.

India's air strikes, and the ensuing escalation of military tensions with its neighbour generated a frenzy of disinformation, spilling over frequently from social media to mainstream media, and muddying the information ecosystem, leaving people misinformed and confused.

At BOOM, we have documented significant instances of information pollution on 'Operation Sindoor'. This page is a repository of all the fact-checks we published on this topic since May 7, 2025. Stay informed!

Live Updates

21 May 2025 6:11 PM IST
Video From Myanmar Viral As Weapons Seized From Militants In Manipur
Claim: Video shows the seizure of weapons from militants in Manipur by the Indian Army.

Fact: The video is not from Manipur. It shows weapon seizure that took place in Myanmar.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 6:10 PM IST
Old Video Shared As India's Attack In Pakistan's Kirana Hills
Claim: Video shows Indian Army's attack on Pakistan's nuclear site, Kirana Hills.

Fact: BOOM found that the video is old and not from Pakistan. It actually shows an explosion in the Mount Noquam area of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 5:25 PM IST
Unrelated Photos Falsely Viral As Jyoti Malhotra With Modi, Akhilesh Yadav
Claim: Photos show YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra pictured with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Fact: BOOM found that the viral photos are unrelated and digitally manipulated.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 5:22 PM IST
Viral Claim On NASA Selecting Ayurvedic Doctor For Space Travel Is Fake
Claim: An image of a newspaper clipping circulating on social media says, "NASA Selects Indian Ayurvedic Doctor to Explore Role of Traditional Medicine in Space Travel."

Fact: BOOM did not find an official press release confirming the selection of an Indian Ayurvedic doctor by NASA for space travel.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 5:20 PM IST
AI Image Of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra In BJP Gear Falsely Attributed To Aaj Tak
Claim: An Aaj Tak news graphic shows travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra wearing a BJP cap and scarf.

Fact: Various AI image detection tools indicated very high likelihood of the graphic being AI-generated.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 5:12 PM IST
Old Video Of LeT's Hafiz Saeed Shared As Recent Amid Ind-Pak Tensions
Claim: In the viral video, Hafiz Saeed is seen addressing the media and demanding Kashmir's independence.
Following the temporary truce, terrorist Hafiz Saeed gave a press conference by posing as if he is Pakistan's prime minister or Pakistan’s army general.

He is unaware that the Indian army is still watching him and that he could be shot down at any moment if India so chooses. 😡… pic.twitter.com/EBt7mSWYko
— Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht) May 15, 2025

Fact: BOOM found that the viral footage is misleading. It is from 2017 and has no connection with the current tensions between India and Pakistan.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 5:10 PM IST
Pakistan's Deputy PM Quotes Fake Article To Hail PAF Over Indian Air Force
Claim: Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar claimed that The Daily Telegraph declared Pakistan Air Force as the “undisputed king of the skies” in a front-page article.

Fact: BOOM found that The Daily Telegraph did not publish any such report about the Pakistan Air Force.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 5:08 PM IST
Video Of Bangladeshi Paraglider Viral As IAF Pilot Shivangi Singh
Claim: Video shows Indian Air Force pilot Shivangi Singh taken as prisoner by Pakistan.
Indian pilot Shivangi Singh is getting disgraced and being a prisoner for Pakistan now. She was flying with Rafael #OperationBunyanulMarsoos pic.twitter.com/7zdyN9uSM5
— Sk Rafi (@SHEAKRAFI) May 10, 2025

Fact: BOOM Bangladesh was able to confirm that the video shows a professional paraglider, Riad, a Bangladesh national, who was apprehended by Pakistan officials at Chitral airport, after he paraglided into the premises.
Read the fact-check here.
21 May 2025 3:25 PM IST
Fake Notice Claims Türkiye Government Urged Indian Tourists To Not Cancel Visit
Claim: Public announcement issued by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism urging Indian tourists not to cancel or postpone their travel plans to Türkiye.

Fact: BOOM found that the viral announcement is fake and has not been issued by the Türkiye government.
21 May 2025 3:21 PM IST
Old Kazak Nuke Test Site Photos Falsely Shared As Pakistan's Kirana Hills
Claim: Photos show members of the U.S. Department of Energy near Pakistan’s Kirana Hills following an Indian strike that caused nuclear fallout.

Fact: BOOM found that the viral photos are old and actually from the now closed Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet Union facility.
Read the fact-check here.