Amidst tensions between India and Pakistan, a surge in the spread of false information online has been observed, with unrelated images and videos being circulated depicting the conflict. These misleading posts are gaining millions of views, reaching a wide audience.

BBC Verify has investigated several such instances of misattributed content.

One video, originally from the 2020 explosion at the port of Beirut in Lebanon, was shared on social media platform X claiming to show the India-Pakistan conflict. The video reportedly garnered over four lacs views.

Another video, depicting Israeli attacks on Gaza in October 2023, was falsely presented as scenes of an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. This video quickly accumulated over three million views.

Furthermore, images from the video game “Battlefield 3” were posted with claims that the Pakistan Air Force was attacking Indian soldiers.

Elliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat Investigations, told BBC Verify that old video footage is frequently disseminated during major events. Posts with higher engagement are more widely distributed, regardless of their veracity. Videos of war or disaster are consistently more engaging.

Professor Indrajit Roy from the University of York suggested to BBC Verify that aggressive nationalism in both countries is a significant factor behind the posting of fake videos in support of one’s own side. He stated, “You will see how fake news and even some true news are distorted and exaggeratedly spread.”

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