Fact Check: Viral video does not show visuals of Operation Sindoor
Fifteen days after the Pahalgam terror attack, India has retaliated.
Fifteen days after the Pahalgam terror attack, India has retaliated. The Indian Joint Forces launched an attack early this morning on 9 terrorist centers in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The army destroyed four Jaish-e-Mohammed, three Lashkar-e-Taiba, and two Hizbul Mujahideen centers located in Kotli, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Chak Amru, Bhimber, Gulpur, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Bagh. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has confirmed India's attack. The army clarified that Pakistani military centers were not attacked.
Meanwhile, a video is circulating on social media, claiming to show visuals of Operation Sindoor. The visuals show a missile hitting an area with many buildings. The posts describe it as proof of the air strike on Pakistan's terrorist centers and say, "Here is the video proof of Air Strike on Pakistan and its terror bases. Now don't dare to ask for proof from my beloved Indian Army." The post and links are below:
Fact Check:
The visuals circulating on social media as India's retaliation in the Pahalgam terror attack, under the name Operation Sindoor, are misleading. The visuals are from an Iranian attack on Israel.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the circulating video revealed that a longer version of the same video was posted on the X account "Sprinter Observer." The post stated, "Exactly one year ago, Iran launched the world's largest missile attack on Israel, causing serious damage to military bases and demonstrating that it is prepared to respond harshly to aggression. The strike was a turning point that changed the strategic balance in the region." The post from April 13, 2025, clearly states that the visuals are from Iran's attack on Israel a year prior.
Further investigation revealed a video posted on the X account "Shiv Aroor" on October 1, 2024. The post described the visuals as "What appear to be Iranian ballistic missiles making their way towards Israel tonight. One of several salvos fired. Iran’s first direct weapons at Israel since April this year. Things all set to get worse, if that were possible."
The logo of Doordarshan (Indian public service broadcaster) is clearly visible in the currently circulating video. A keyword search led to a video published on Doordarshan's YouTube channel. The video, titled "Iranian Missiles Target Nevatim Airbase in Negev," was posted on October 2, 2024.
Therefore, the viral video in circulation on social media as Operation Sindoor, India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, are misleading. The visuals are from Iran's attack on Israel in October 2024.