LAHORE – Amid intensifying tensions between Pakistan and India, a wave of disinformation flooded social media platforms, like Facebook and X where Indian users claims suggesting that India’s S-400 air defense system shot down three Pakistani fighter jets — two JF-17s and a J-10C — near Amritsar.
However, there is no official confirmation of such an incident from either side, and defense sources have dismissed the reports as baseless.
The false narrative, widely circulated by Hindutva-aligned accounts and amplified by segments of India’s right-wing media — often referred to as “Godi media” — claimed the aircraft were brought down during an alleged airspace violation. No independent verification supports these assertions, and both Indian and Pakistani defense ministries have remained silent on the matter.
Fake News
Pakistan-India Tensions
The fabricated claims surfaced as tensions surged following India’s recent missile strikes inside Pakistan, reportedly in retaliation for a deadly militant attack in Pahalgam. Pakistan has denied involvement and condemned the strikes, warning of potential escalation.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif sid Modi government’s actions were an “invitation to advance conflict,” but saod Islamabad aims to avoid a full-scale war, reiterating that Pakistan’s military response would target only military sites, not civilian areas.
So far, the death toll from Indian airstrikes in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir soared to 31, with 57 others injured, according to Pakistani officials. Meanwhile, overnight retaliatory shelling by Pakistan killed 12 Indian civilians and wounded 57, according to an Indian defense source.
A day earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif praised Pakistani Air Force for shooting down five Indian jets, including a French-made Rafale. A French intelligence source cited by US media confirmed the downing of one Rafale, though no imagery or formal acknowledgment has surfaced.
The conflict has now become a hotbed for misinformation, with social media narratives intensifying public sentiment on both sides. Analysts warn that such fake reports could exacerbate an already volatile situation, emphasizing the need for restraint, verification, and responsible reporting.
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