In the aftermath of India’s precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor, leading Western and Chinese media outlets were found to be broadcasting unverified and false claims originating from Pakistan’s military establishment.
CNN’s Unverified Claims Echo Pakistani Military
CNN was among the first international outlets to report Pakistan’s assertion that it had shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) jets. In a report by CNN’s Jerome Taylor, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry claimed during an interview with CNN anchor Jim Sciutto that “There are two confirmed aircraft of the Indian Air Force [that] have already been shot down… There are other reports of multiple damages that the Pakistani forces, both on ground and air, have inflicted.”
CNN, while noting it could not independently verify the claim, aired the comments prominently, giving global visibility to what Indian defence analysts now call a “fabricated narrative to save face” following India’s surgical strikes on terror infrastructure. Indian authorities have categorically denied the loss of any aircraft, with sources confirming that no IAF jets were shot down, and that visuals circulating online were of fuel tank jettisoning—standard protocol during combat maneuvers.
Pakistan's military tells CNN it shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft after India said it struck sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Follow live updates. https://t.co/Q9NRBsWFRa pic.twitter.com/WHcepNlPaD
— CNN (@CNN) May 6, 2025
The report also falsely located the supposed air battles near Bhatinda (Punjab) and Akhnoor (Jammu & Kashmir)—areas where no such engagements occurred.
China’s Global Times Joins the Disinformation Campaign
Not to be left behind, China’s state-run Global Times and Xinhua News Agency pushed the narrative further, reporting that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had shot down not just two, but a third Indian jet in “retaliation” to the overnight strikes. These reports, citing unnamed Pakistani military sources, echoed similar language and numbers, but once again lacked any satellite imagery, video confirmation, or independent verification.
Just like Pakistani outlets, even China's state runs global times pedals unsubstantiated information: pic.twitter.com/BqT2IlVA1g
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 7, 2025
The Global Times’ post on X repeated these claims without any disclaimer, further fueling disinformation campaigns spearheaded by Pakistani military-linked social media accounts.
Fact-Checkers Expose Hoax
Within hours, independent analysts and Indian authorities dismantled the false narrative:
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) flagged a viral video claiming an attack on Srinagar Airbase as old footage from 2024 sectarian clashes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a video shared by several pro-Pakistan handles, it is being falsely claimed that the Pakistan Airforce has targeted Srinagar airbase#PIBFactCheck
❌ The video shared is old and NOT from India.
✅The video is from sectarian clashes that took place in the year 2024, in… pic.twitter.com/vPmMq4IWdE
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 7, 2025
Social media posts falsely claims that Pakistan destroyed Indian Brigade Headquarters.#PIBFactCheck
❌ This claim is #FAKE
✅ Please avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from the Government of India for accurate information. pic.twitter.com/9W5YLjBubp
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 7, 2025
No satellite imagery or credible footage of downed jets emerged, despite Pakistan’s claims. Indian Defence Ministry officials confirmed no aircraft were lost, dismissing the reports as “baseless propaganda.”
The disinformation was further amplified by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)-linked handles, which pushed claims of:
- Strikes on 15 Indian locations (no evidence provided).
- Destruction of an Indian Army Brigade HQ (proven false).
- Attacks on Srinagar Airbase (debunked as recycled footage).
Despite the lack of verification, several Pakistani news channels aired these claims, further muddying the information landscape.
Operation Sindoor: A Calibrated Response
India’s missile strikes were launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians, including one Nepali citizen. According to the Indian Ministry of Defence, Operation Sindoor was a “focused, non-escalatory” strike designed to target terror infrastructure and not Pakistani civilian or military sites.
Indian armed forces struck nine terror targets in PoK and Pakistani Punjab, with high-precision missiles reportedly neutralizing over 80 militants, many of whom belonged to JeM and LeT.
As Pakistan pushes claims of retaliation to control the domestic narrative, Indian officials have urged media and the public to rely only on verified sources.
While India’s Operation Sindoor was a measured response to terrorism, CNN and Global Times chose to act as megaphones for Pakistani propaganda—raising questions about their commitment to fact-based journalism.
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