Indian Army Posts Destroyed By Pakistan? Viral Visuals Are Old, Unrelated

The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing of small arms across the Line of Control in areas opposite Kupwara and Baramulla districts, as well as the Akhnoor sector during the night of April 28-29, the Indian Army said in a statement, adding that the Indian Army responded in a measured and effective manner to the provocation.

This marks the fifth consecutive night of ceasefire violation by Pakistan amid the heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

In this backdrop, several social media users claimed that the Pakistan Army destroyed two Indian Army posts along the LOC, substantiating it with the alleged visuals of fire. Newschecker, however, found the visuals to be old and unrelated to the recent border tension. 

Such posts can be seen here, here and here.

Also Read: Donations To Indian Army’s Bank Account Are Not Used For Purchasing Weapons

Fact Check/Verification

We investigated the visuals one-by-one. 

Visual 1

A Google Lens search on the keyframes of the viral clip led us to a Facebook post by @jani.masood.12, dated November 23, 2024, stating, “Bagan Bazaar completely destroyed, situation out of control in Parachinar (translated from Urdu via Google).” The post carried a 3:18 minute long video showing a large area under fire. Around 1:34 minutes into the video, we spotted the viral clip. 

Another Facebook post from November 2024 carried the same video. 

We found another X post by @FarazPervaiz3, dated November 23, 2024, stating, “Communal riots, Armed Shiite Extremist tribesman set fire to the market in Sunni-majority town of Bagan in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in response to the killing of 110 civilians of #Shiite Turi and Bangash tribes by Sunni Extremist tribesmen.” 

The post also featured a longer version of the viral claim being shared to claim that Indian Army posts were destroyed in Pakistan’s attack. 

A comparison between the keyframes of the two videos can be seen below.

Violence was reported between the Shia and Sunni groups in Pakistan’s northwestern Province Khyber Pukhtunkhwa in November 2024. “Clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in the district started on November 22, after an attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed a day earlier,” a PTI report stated. The violence that began in the Bagan Bazaar area and spread to other parts such as Balishkhel, Khar, Kali, Junj Alizai, and Maqbal.

Also Read: Pakistan Army ‘Mass Resignations’ Memo: Unpacking The Inconsistencies

Hence, the viral clip was found to be old and unrelated to the recent tensions along the LOC. 

Visual 2

We looked up the image on Google Lens which led us to a Facebook post by BBC presenter Barra Best (@BarraBestPresenter), dated March 18, 2025. Featuring the viral photo, along with other images of the same fire, it stated, “Fires tonight in the Mourne area in County Down, at Castlewellan…” Castlewellan is a town in Northern Ireland. 

Carrying a photo from the post, a BBC article, dated March 18, 2025, elaborated, “Firefighters have extinguished a blaze that started at the foothills of the Mourne Mountains on Monday night. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it received a report at 18:42 GMT of about 200m of gorse on fire on the Altnadue Road outside of Castlewellan, County Down. The fire is believed to have been started deliberately.” 

A report by Belfastlive from March 2025 also carried an image showing the same blaze corroborating, “a major fire on the Mourne Mountains in Castlewellan.”

Moreover, we did not find any credible reports stating that two Indian Army posts along the LOC have been destroyed in a recent Pakistan attack. The government’s PIB Fact Check, too, flagged the claim as false.

Also Read: Viral Video Claiming To Show Terrorists Involved In Pahalgam Attack Being Eliminated Is Old

Conclusion

Hence, we find that old and unrelated visuals have been shared to falsely claim that two Indian Army posts were destroyed by Pakistan. 

Sources
Facebook Post By @jani.masood.12, Dated November 23, 2024
X Post By @FarazPervaiz3, Dated November 23, 2024
Facebook Post By @BarraBestPresenter, Dated March 18, 2025
Report By Belfastlive, Dated March 18, 2025