Viral video claiming Mi-17 helicopter shot down in Kashmir is fake, says PIB

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has once again busted Pakistani propaganda circulating on social media, which falsely claimed that an Indian Mi-17 helicopter was recently shot down in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

In a fact check issued on Thursday, PIB clarified that the viral video being shared by several Pakistani social media accounts is six years old, unrelated, and is being misused to push misleading narratives.

“Some #Pakistani propaganda accounts are recirculating an old video on social media, falsely claiming that a missile shot down an Indian Mi-17 helicopter,” PIB said, while sharing the clip to put the record straight.

The fact check confirmed that the footage pertains to the 2019 crash of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 V5 helicopter near Budgam in Jammu & Kashmir, and not a recent incident.

“It is from an earlier incident that took place in 2019, involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 V5 helicopter that crashed near Budgam, J&K,” PIB stated.

Calling out the deliberate misinformation, PIB cautioned that such fake content is circulated to “create panic, spread misinformation, and malign India’s image.”

The PIB Fact Check stated that the original incident occurred on February 27, 2019, when the helicopter took off from Srinagar airfield at 10 a.m. for a routine mission.

“It crashed around 10.10 a.m. near Budgam, resulting in the death of all six IAF personnel on board. A Court of Inquiry had been ordered at the time to investigate the cause of the accident,” it said.

India has repeatedly flagged Pakistan-based social media networks for running disinformation campaigns, particularly after sensitive military or political developments.

The Fact Check unit of the PIB has debunked Pakistani propaganda against India and the Indian Armed Forces, and fact-checked many such posts countering such content in the past also.

--IANS

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