Pak Pushes Disinformation Again To Revive Debunked Claims On Op Sindoor

During the actual hostilities in May, Pakistan failed to produce any credible satellite imagery or independently verifiable evidence to substantiate its claims of striking Indian military assets

02 Jan 2026, 13:05 · www.ndtv.com

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Pakistan recirculates unverified satellite images claiming strikes on Indian military sites
Independent analysis finds no evidence of damage at alleged Indian military targets
Renewed claims appear as a post-facto disinformation effort without satellite source details

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New Delhi:

In what analysts describe as a renewed effort to rewrite the narrative of a past military episode, Pakistan has once again turned to social media to circulate misleading and unverified satellite imagery, falsely claiming strikes on Indian military facilities during Operation Sindoor. The posts, which have resurfaced months after the conflict, allege damage to installations in India's northern regions, including areas around Amritsar in Punjab.

The claims, however, are not supported by facts.

Independent verification of the locations shown in the images reveals no visible destruction or damage at the alleged targets. Indian military facilities cited in the posts remain intact, with no signs of blast impact, structural damage, or secondary effects that would be expected from an aerial or missile strike. Analysts note that the images lack any credible indicators of an attack, such as craters, debris fields, scorch marks, or collapsed infrastructure.

The timing of this renewed disinformation campaign has raised serious questions.

During the actual hostilities in May, Pakistan failed to produce any credible satellite imagery or independently verifiable evidence to substantiate its claims of striking Indian military assets. The sudden appearance of these visuals seven months later - without verifiable timestamps, satellite-source details, or corroboration from neutral observers - has led experts to conclude that the material is a post-facto attempt to manufacture evidence rather than present genuine documentation.

This is not the first time exaggerated or unfounded claims have surfaced in connection with the conflict. During and immediately after Operation Sindoor, Pakistani social media narratives were marked by assertions of imaginary "victory ratios" and vague references to striking India's strategic "centre of gravity." None of these claims were supported by open-source intelligence, satellite confirmation, or independent reporting, and they failed to gain traction with international observers or defence analysts.

Open-source intelligence specialists who reviewed the newly circulated images have highlighted clear red flags. The visuals show selective framing, low contextual detail, and an absence of damage indicators that would normally accompany a military strike. Comparative imagery of the same locations - taken before, during, and after the period in question - shows no observable change, directly contradicting the strike narrative being promoted online.

Despite these findings, the misleading visuals continue to be amplified by Pakistan-based social media handles, suggesting a deliberate disinformation campaign rather than a genuine analytical disagreement.

Experts note that such tactics are often employed to shape domestic perception, particularly when official narratives fail to demonstrate tangible success during actual hostilities. By recycling old claims with new but unverifiable imagery, the campaign appears aimed at reinforcing morale at home while attempting to sow doubt among less informed audiences abroad.

India, for its part, has maintained that no Pakistani strikes succeeded in damaging its military infrastructure during Operation Sindoor. The continued operational readiness and intact condition of facilities in Punjab, including near Amritsar, support this position. Independent assessments by analysts and observers outside the region have reached similar conclusions.

The facts, therefore, remain unchanged. There is no credible evidence to support claims of Pakistani strikes on Indian military facilities during Operation Sindoor. The latest social media push relies on unverified imagery and recycled propaganda that does not withstand independent scrutiny. As analysts warn, the episode underscores the growing use of digital platforms as tools of disinformation-where repetition, rather than reality, is used in an attempt to reshape perceptions long after the facts have been established.

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