From AFP News Agency.
At least 26 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, 2025 when gunmen opened fire on tourists in the insurgency-hit region.
But a clip that spread on social media and in news reports shortly afterwards does not show a soldier’s final moments with his wife before the attack.
It is a different couple’s vacation video filmed days before the incident.
Using reverse image search, New Delhi-based Sachin Baghel discovered a follow-up video the couple made to try and stop their image from spreading in false posts.
"It was very sad," said Ashish Sehrawat, who was falsely identified as one Lieutenant Narwal, a reported victim in the attack.
"Even the big news channels were sharing it without verification," he told AFP.
00:01 Couple films clip at Pahalgam in Kashmir
00:14 They share the video in solidarity after the attack but remove it after too much attention
00:43 Other accounts share video with claims it shows an attack victim
01:20 AFP journalist using reverse image search finds follow-up video of couple denouncing false posts
02:00 Sehrawat regrets media shared his video without verification
02:09 Inflammatory disinformation is common online during conflicts
MUSIC: AUDIONETWORK / Slick / Lawrence Insula (PRS)
