Kashmir: many viral images online during India-Pakistan conflict often taken out of context

From AFP News Agency.

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Kashmir: many viral images online during India-Pakistan conflict often taken out of context

During conflicts social media blows up with spectacular images claiming to show what’s happening — but not all of them do.

During four days of intense fighting between India and Pakistan in May 2025 after 26 tourists were killed in an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, many images that were old or unrelated were shared in posts pretending to show the conflict.

In this video, New Delhi-based Sachin Baghel shows how he tracked down the real origins of a spectacular explosion video that was shot in Yemen in 2015.

Islamabad-based Rimal Farrukh also demonstrates how a fire that burned near Faisal Mosque in the Pakistani capital in 2024 was shared with false claims it showed an Indian drone attack – claims that triggered an actual emergency response.

00:01 Original 2015 and 2024 clips explained

00:27 2025 India-Pakistan conflict context

01:02 Clip piggybacks on radioactivity rumors

01:13 Reverse image search uncovers Yemen conflict Facebook post

01:32 The same clip found on Al Jazeera YouTube channel

01:45 Geolocation corroborates clip location

01:56 Islamabad fire video drone rumors

02:04 Reverse image search uncovers local media reports

02:15 AFP reporter visits scene and finds nothing

02:22 Real emergency response triggered

MUSIC: AUDIONETWORK / Extraordinary / Gareth Johnson (PRS)