In response to India’s recent Operation Sindoor, a targeted counterterrorism initiative, a surge of misinformation has emerged from Pakistan-based social media accounts, alleging that an Indian Air Force pilot has been captured. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India quickly refuted these claims, labeling them as completely fabricated.
The unfounded rumors claimed that Squadron Leader Shivani Singh had been detained following the purported downing of an Indian Sukhoi SU-30MKI by Pakistani forces. In a prompt rebuttal, PIB Fact Check, the official fact-verification body of the Indian government, declared, “Indian Female Air Force Pilot has not been captured. This claim is FAKE.”
The misinformation included a photograph falsely associated with the claim, which was traced back to a Sukhoi SU-30MKI crash in Undre Vasti, Maharashtra, in 2014—a completely unrelated event that has no connection to the current geopolitical and military situation.
Indian officials have condemned this coordinated disinformation campaign, interpreting it as part of a broader strategy aimed at distorting reality and undermining India’s counterterrorism efforts. A senior official emphasized to PTI, “Following India’s decisive strike under Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has unleashed a full-blown disinformation offensive—a desperate attempt to shift focus and flood the information space with lies.”
Operation Sindoor, which successfully targeted nine confirmed terrorist infrastructure sites in both Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was described by Indian forces as a “precise, measured and non-escalatory” response to the recent Pahalgam attack that resulted in 26 fatalities.
The Indian government has also called upon foreign nations and media outlets to refrain from disseminating unverified claims related to the operation. On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs urged countries, notably China, to “verify facts” before making any statements regarding Operation Sindoor. The Ministry asserted that the spread of disinformation poses a threat to regional stability and public trust.
As tensions escalate both on the ground and in the information domain, India’s defense and information agencies are on heightened alert. Authorities are encouraging citizens and the media to rely on verified sources and resist becoming ensnared in false narratives that are being deliberately propagated.
