From AFP News Agency.
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)
