Post Operation Sindoor- In the immediate aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India’s targeted military operation against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a wave of misinformation and propaganda emerged from Pakistani state-linked media outlets and social media platforms.
The operation, conducted in response to the brutal April 22 terror attack Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, including one Nepali citizen, saw the Indian Armed Forces launch coordinated precision strikes on nine identified terror sites operated by groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The Indian government described the mission as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory”, emphasizing that no Pakistani military or civilian targets were engaged.
Surge of Fabricated Claims on Social Media
Soon after the strikes, Pakistani social media platforms—particularly X (formerly Twitter)—were inundated with a barrage of unverified and often sensationalist claims. Many of these originated from accounts known to be affiliated with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military.
Some of the most widely circulated posts falsely alleged that Pakistan had launched retaliatory missile strikes on 15 locations within India, including Srinagar Airbase, and that a Brigade Headquarters of the Indian Army had been destroyed. These claims quickly gained traction, shared by users with large followings and echoed by sections of Pakistan’s mainstream media.
However, no independent or satellite-verified evidence has substantiated any of these allegations.
Fact-Checkers Debunk Pakistani Propaganda
Several images and videos shared to support the false claims were quickly debunked by independent fact-checkers and Indian authorities. The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit issued a clarification on one widely shared video allegedly showing Pakistan Air Force jets attacking Srinagar Airbase.
“In a video shared by several pro-Pakistan handles, it is being falsely claimed that the Pakistan Airforce has targeted Srinagar airbase. The video is old and NOT from India. It is from sectarian clashes in 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Rely only on official Government of India sources for authentic information,” the PIB said in an official statement.
Other shared visuals were traced back to unrelated past incidents or altered using digital editing tools to create a false narrative of Pakistan’s military retaliation.
Despite these verifications, misinformation continued to circulate across platforms, illustrating a coordinated information warfare strategy aimed at domestic audiences and international observers to project a sense of parity or reprisal.
India’s Strategic and Diplomatic Response
While India refrained from engaging in an escalatory public narrative, it swiftly moved to brief international partners and allies about the objectives and results of Operation Sindoor.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval personally spoke with his counterparts in the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, sharing intelligence assessments that linked Pakistan-based terror groups to the Pahalgam massacre.
India’s Ministry of Defence emphasized that the targets were selected based on specific intelligence inputs and were limited strictly to terror infrastructure, avoiding any engagement with Pakistan’s military or civilian areas.
Diplomatically, India also engaged multilateral forums and emphasized its commitment to international norms and responsible state behavior, distinguishing its response from acts of aggression.
The Information Warfare Angle
The misinformation campaign that followed Operation Sindoor underscores the growing importance of information warfare in modern military engagements. Experts note that Pakistan’s disinformation blitz appeared designed to shift focus from the terror attacks that triggered the Indian operation, while projecting a false sense of military parity.
“This is part of a deliberate narrative-building strategy,” said a senior Indian official. “Pakistan seeks to portray a successful counterstrike and domestic resolve, regardless of the actual facts on the ground.”
By contrast, India’s strategy has emphasized strategic transparency and precision operations, aimed at isolating terror infrastructure without drawing civilian casualties or provoking a broader military confrontation.
Civil Preparedness and Military Readiness
In a related move, India also began large-scale military exercises in Rajasthan near the Pakistan border, as part of a pre-planned routine training operation, according to a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued by the Indian Air Force.
Simultaneously, civil defence drills are being conducted in nearly 300 districts across India, including the capital, Delhi—a scale of preparedness not seen since the 1971 India-Pakistan war. These drills are designed to ensure swift civilian response capabilities in the event of any retaliatory hostile action.
Conclusion
India’s Operation Sindoor marked a decisive, proportionate military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, conducted with restraint and strategic clarity. However, it also highlighted the rising influence of disinformation as a tool of asymmetric warfare.
While India’s kinetic response targeted terrorism infrastructure, its digital and diplomatic countermeasures are now crucial in shaping global understanding and countering false narratives emanating from across the border.
