Fact Check: No Soldiers Killed or Injured in Ganderbal Bus Accident Involving ITBP Vehicle
Three terrorists were killed during a fierce encounter with security forces in the Lidwas area near Dachigam National
Paramilitary forces
Three terrorists were killed during a fierce encounter with security forces in the Lidwas area near Dachigam National Park, Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday, July 28, 2025. The joint anti-terror operation, codenamed “Operation Mahadev,” was conducted by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), acting on vital intelligence inputs regarding militant movement in the Mulnar area. The encounter led to an intense firefight, following which security forces confirmed the neutralisation of all three terrorists. Combing operations remain ongoing to ensure no further threats persist in the region.
Meanwhile, images of a bus drowning in a river are being shared on social media with the claim that several Indian paramilitary soldiers were injured and killed when the bus fell into the Sindh River at Ganderbal. The claim goes as “Multiple Indian soldiers killed and injured after bus carrying Indian Paramilitary Forces fell into Sindh River at Ganderbal.”
Fact check:
The claim is False. No soldiers were killed or injured in the incident. The bus was empty and it was going to pick up the ITBP personnel.
When we searched the image using Google reverse image search, we found several news reports about the incident sharing the video of the bus fallen into a river.
According to a post by ANI on X that shared the video of the bus drowning in the river, an ITBP bus was on its way to carry the troops when it slipped into the river. The driver, who sustained minor injuries, is now stable. NDRF, SDRF and the police are rescuing the bus. Fortunately, a major incident was averted as there were no troops in the bus.
A report published by CNBCTV18.com stated that an empty bus on its way to carry Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel fell into the Sindh River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal on July 30, 2025. "An ITBP bus was on its way to carry the troops. The bus slipped into the river. The driver sustained minor injuries. There were no troops in the bus," Khalil Ahmad Poswal, SSP of Ganderbal, was quoted as saying by ANI.
A YouTube video published by Greater Kashmir shows SSP of Ganderbal stating that a bus that was going to pick up the Indo-Tibetan Border Police slipped into the Sindh River. Though the driver sustained minor injuries, there was no other damage in the accident.
On the morning of July 30, 2025, a civil bus met with an accident near Zirpora Kullan Bridge in the Ganderbal district and plunged into the Nallah Sindh. The vehicle, which was empty and earmarked for ferrying troops, slipped into the river while negotiating a curve at Resin Kullan. The driver, identified as Waseem Ahmad Dar, son of Ali Mohmad Dar and a resident of Ganastan Sumbal, Bandipora, sustained minor injuries in the mishap. He was immediately shifted to PHC Kullan, where his condition is stated to be stable. Following the incident, SSP Ganderbal Khalil Ahmad Poswal, along with SHO Gund and other senior security officials, rushed to the spot and supervised the rescue operation.
Speaking on the occasion, SSP Poswal confirmed that the accident occurred during the wee hours and involved an empty troop-ferrying bus. He added that the driver had suffered only minor injuries and was recovering. A joint rescue operation was swiftly launched by teams from the NDRF, SDRF, J&K Police, Indian Army, ITBP, and other concerned agencies to retrieve the vehicle from the gushing waters of Nallah Sindh.
Therefore, the claim that several Indian soldiers were injured and killed in a bus accident is False. No soldiers were in the bus when the accident occurred.