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| - Fact Check: IAF did not conduct airstrike in Nepal, nor was its jet shot down
Misleading images on social media claim to show an Indian fighter jet shot down by Nepal after it crossed over into Nepalese territory to conduct an airstrike.
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India Today Fact Check
Two unrelated images have been brought together to create the fake post.
Amid strain in ties with Nepal, two images of a fighter jet on fire and debris of a crashed warplane are circulating on social media with the claim that the neighbouring country has shot down an Indian fighter jet which crossed the border to conduct airstrikes.
Multiple Facebook and Twitter users have shared the two images with the caption, “Indian airforce had crossed the border to conduct an airstrike on the Nepal territories today. India conducted an airstrike in Kot Kharak Singh Pernawan near India Nepal border. In responding, Nepal shot down Indian jet & two Indian pilots killed.”
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be false. Two old and unrelated images have been brought together to create the post, along with a false claim. Neither has the Indian Air Force conducted an airstrike in Nepal nor has Nepal shot down an Indian jet.
The archived versions of the posts can be seen here and here. The post is viral on Facebook and Twitter.
With the help of reverse image search, we found the original source of the two images.
Viral image 1
This picture of an aircraft on fire was published by several international news websites in 2011. According to “Belfast Telegraph”, it was a Lybian warplane which was shot down on the outskirts of Benghazi, eastern Libya, on March 19, 2011.
“CBS News” published the picture with credits to photographer Anja Niedringhaus of Associated Press. As per “CBS News”, there were conflicting reports on whether it was a Libyan government jet or one flown by rebels in Benghazi.
Viral image 2
This image of aircraft debris is the site where an IAF Mirage-2000 fighter jet crashed at a military airport in Bengaluru’s eastern suburbs on February 1, 2019. This image was published in “The Statesman” the next day.
As per the report, Squadron Leaders Samir Abrol and Siddharth Negi died of fatal injuries after the aircraft crashed while on an acceptance sortie following its upgrade by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
“PIB Fact Check” has also called the viral post fake as there is no evidence that IAF conducted an airstrike in Nepal territory or that Nepal shot down an Indian fighter jet.
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