Fake X Accounts Of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh Propel Barrage Of Mis/Disinformation Online

At 10am on May 7, 2025, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh jointly led the press briefing on Operation Sindoor, a precision military operation launched just hours before the briefing, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in response to the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. Over the next few days, the post-operation briefings, while marking a symbolic and historical moment in India’s defence narrative by reflecting the rising strength of women in the armed forces, had also garnered praise for their composed conduct, calm confidence, factual clarity and the refusal to indulge in hyperbole when delivering the details of the military actions.

However, multiple ultra-jingoistic, impersonator X accounts of Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh, a few of them created within hours of the briefings, aggravated the disinformation ecosystem surrounding Operation Sindoor, adding to the new-age digital “fog of war”.  Some of these accounts, which have now been labelled as commentary or parody accounts, while others have been deleted or suspended following legal demands, can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

The fake X handles, armed with military designations in their bios, rapidly gained traction, accumulating thousands of followers and misleading several prominent figures into sharing their posts, consequently lending them unwarranted legitimacy and further complicating the public discourse with mis- and disinformation.  

Govt Flags Imposter Handles, But Damage Done

The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact-Check unit flagged the impersonator accounts in an X post on May 10, when a ceasefire understanding between the countries was arrived at, urging users to rely only on official sources for authentic information, while clarifying that “there is no official X handle of Wg. Cdr. Vyomika Singh and Col. Sofiya Qureshi.”  Also, we contacted Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who clarified that she does not have any X account.

However, the damage had already been done.

Manufacturing Credibility For Reach

The impersonator accounts bearing their names and likenesses, giving them a facade of authenticity, had their provocative posts retweeted tens of thousands of times, sowing massive confusion among Indian and international audiences.  These accounts provided a human face, and uniform, to a barrage of falsehoods, comprising old and unrelated battlefield visuals, mislabelled videos, AI-generated photos of military strikes and fake advisories, all of which were circulated widely, including a 2016 photo from Turkey shared as a Pakistani pilot being captured during the recent conflict, which was debunked by Newschecker.

Several news channels and journalists fell for fake videos and claims, which were already being amplified by bots and troll accounts with emotional language, reportedly driving their virality at a time when cross-border attacks and shelling, mock drills, and sirens blasted from loudspeakers were causing mass panic. Newschecker has debunked several of these videos pushed by mainstream media outlets, including a clip claiming to show India intercepting a Pakistan attack on Jaisalmer, along with calling them out for misreporting a civilian killed in the Poonch shelling as a terrorist 

Many X users were also hoodwinked by the blue verification tick of the imposter accounts, a paid-for feature that has been the subject of constant controversy for its potential to enable the spread of misinformation. Along with timely content being posted with hyper-nationalistic remarks and inflammatory hashtags, the loud and fever-pitch “military messaging” of these accounts directly contradicted the measured and nuanced delivery of the actual press briefings, undermining the credibility of India’s defence response on social media.

Narrative Precision A Must

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Gaza wars, which began in 2022-23 and are still seeing a deluge of misinformation flooding social media, had given us an inkling on how these platforms have become crucial battlefields in modern warfare.

However, 2025 Operation Sindoor marks a decisive turning point for India in understanding how military operations are being perceived in the social media age and how disinformation can disrupt diplomacy or be used as a war tactic, highlighting the growing need for better verification tools, quicker response mechanisms, and higher digital literacy among users.

The easy online impersonation of decorated officers like Colonel Qureshi, including a fake Instagram handle with over 390K followers, and Wing Commander Singh, along with the proliferation of such accounts, reminds us how easily public perception can be manipulated without effective digital safeguards, underscoring the need for ensuring narrative as well as military precision.

Also Read: India-Pakistan Ceasefire: Videos Claiming To Show PM Modi, Amit Shah And S Jaishankar Apologising Are AI-Generated

Sources
Analysis of fake X accounts
PIB Fact Check post, X, May 10, 2025
Conversation with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh
The Independent report, May 9, 2025
Times of India report, May 8, 2025
Indian Express report, May 8, 2025
India Today report, May 8, 2025
Economic Times report, May 11, 2025
Variety report, October 20, 2023
Hindustan Times report, May 11, 2025
(with inputs from Runjay Kumar, Newschecker Hindi)