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Army debunks fake videos targeting India's military and security (Img: IANS)
New Delhi: The Indian Army on Sunday debunked a video circulated by Pakistan-linked social media accounts that falsely claimed Chinese soldiers were searching Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh. The Army said the footage was from a counter-terrorism mock drill conducted in Bengaluru, in May 2026.
In a Fact Check, the Army rejected the claims and warned social media users against mistaking a security exercise for an actual military confrontation. It also urged people to verify the source, location and context of online content before sharing it.
Dismissing the claims, the Indian Army said, "Pakistan-based social media accounts are circulating a video falsely claiming that Chinese soldiers are searching Indian Army personnel inside Arunachal Pradesh and that Indian troops must obtain permission from Chinese forces to move through the state."
Clarifying the origin of the footage, the Army said, "The actual video is of a counter-terrorism mock drill conducted in Karnataka's Bengaluru in May 2026, not Chinese soldiers checking Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh."
The Army cautioned people not to "confuse a security exercise with an actual military confrontation".
It described the circulation of the footage as a disinformation attempt, outlining the alleged pattern as: "Disinformation Pattern: Old counter-terrorism mock drill + False Chinese military identification + Fabricated Arunachal Pradesh location = Misleading border security narrative".
In a separate Fact Check, the Army also rejected claims by a Pakistan-linked social media account that it had launched a "crackdown on the Cockroach Janta Party".
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According to the Army, the account had used an old photograph showing law enforcement personnel during a student protest at Jamia Millia Islamia University in south Delhi to misrepresent the actions of the defence forces.
The Army said, "Pakistan-linked propaganda account is circulating fake allegations that the Indian Army launched a crackdown on the Cockroach Party, on the morning of October 23, leaving seven youths injured and two dead. The Pakistan account with fake Indian name also falsely suggests that the Indian Army has taken a stand against Gen Z."
The Army clarified that the original footage showed security personnel handling a hunger strike over the restoration of the Union at Jamia Millia Islamia University on October 17. No casualties were reported during the incident, it said.
The two Fact Checks highlight the Army's concerns about misleading social media posts that use old footage or misidentify locations to create false narratives involving the military and national security.
The Army has urged users to check the authenticity and context of such material before circulating it online.
