New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Exposing Pakistan’s repeated attempts to spin a false narrative, the Indian Open-Source Intelligence (OSNIT) community has debunked the claims made by Pakistani locals who circulated videos to allege that Indian jets had crashed in their vicinity during Operation Sindoor.

According to the analysis done over the past three months, the videos primarily recorded by Pakistani residents in areas like Dina, Gujrat, Sialkot, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are instead circumstantial evidence pointing to the crash of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets during the skirmishes.

“The videos, widely circulated on platforms like X, depict local residents in Pakistan recording debris and speculating about downed aircraft, with some claiming to have witnessed pilots descending via parachutes. These claims echo the chaotic aftermath of the February 27, 2019 aerial engagement when Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) initially alleged it had captured three Indian pilots, only to later retract the claim to one — Wing Commander Varthaman — after downing his MiG-21,” the Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW) report mentioned.

According to the Indian OSNIT community the recent videos reflect a familiar pattern of misinformation seen in 2019, with Pakistani locals and authorities trying to portray Indian Air Force (IAF) losses while hiding PAF casualties during Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025 in response to April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The report mentioned that during Operation Sindoor, the IAF carried out precision strikes on nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and PoK, destroying critical PAF infrastructure, such as airfields, command centres and radars. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirmed that the IAF had shot down at least five PAF fighter jets and one large aircraft, believed to be an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform, using advanced systems like the S-400.

The OSNIT analysis, the report said, underscored the psychological and propaganda aspects of the conflict. It mentioned that, encouraged by the Pakistani authorities, residents seem to recreate the 2019 episode, where footage of a captured Indian pilot went viral and spread the Pakistani narrative. However, the Indian OSNIT community contends that the latest videos “inadvertently expose PAF’s setbacks” with locals wrongly identifying their own downed aircraft for Indian jets.

“The 2019 precedent looms large in these discussions. During the Balakot aftermath, ISPR’s initial claim of capturing three pilots was debunked when only one, Wing Commander Varthaman, was confirmed, and Pakistan failed to account for its own losses, including an F-16 shot down by the IAF,” the report noted.

The IAF’s clear edge in Operation Sindoor, the report mentioned, was demonstrated through its use of advanced systems like the S-400 and indigenous counter-drone technologies, which have forced Pakistan to push a false narrative.

The Indian OSNIT community has played a pivotal role in dismantling misinformation, employing open-source tools to geolocate videos, examine wreckage, and cross-check with the IAF’s official statements. Several posts on social media, it said, highlighted specific details, such as the absence of IAF-specific components like Russian AL-31F engines in the debris, further discrediting Pakistani claims.

–IANS

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