Fact check: Gaza photos falsely shared as attack on Sialkot, Pakistan

Indian forces launched precision missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK. Several Gaza war photos were falsely circulated as "attack on Sialkot."

The Indian armed forces carried out coordinated precision missile strikes on nine key terror targets located in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Photos from past Israeli airstrikes on Gaza falsely circulated as visuals of “Indian strikes on Sialkot.” (X/ @swanaamdhaanya)

Dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor,’ the offensive was launched in the early hours of May 7, in a joint operation involving the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The strikes were carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, which left at least 26 civilians dead.

In a statement, the Indian Ministry of Defence said, “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”

“These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered. We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”

Amid the operation, misinformation spread online. Several photos and videos from past Israeli airstrikes on Gaza were falsely circulated as visuals of “Indian strikes on Sialkot.” One widely shared image, for instance, was a three-year-old photo originally published by The New York Times.

Which terror camps were targeted in Operation Sindoor?

Sawai Nala Camp (Muzaffarabad)

Syedna Belal Camp

Gulpur Camp

Abbas Camp

Barnala Camp

Sarjal Camp

Mehmoona Joya Camp

Markaz Taiba (Bahawalpur)

Markaz Subhan (Bahawalpur)

How many were killed in Operation Sindoor?

At a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi confirmed that the operation did not target any Pakistani military installations and that no civilian casualties had been reported.

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar claimed that 10 members of his family and four close associates were killed in a missile strike on the group's headquarters in Bahawalpur.