Night sky lit up with India's missile strikes deep inside Punjab province in Pakistan

India has issued a strong diplomatic rebuttal to Chinese state media outlet Global Times for spreading what it described as "disinformation" regarding Operation Sindoor, the recent Indian military operation targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Indian embassy in Beijing publicly called out Global Times for publishing unverified claims, including the assertion that three Indian fighter jets were shot down by Pakistan during the operation-claims India categorically denied as false and misleading.

The embassy's statement, posted on X (formerly Twitter), emphasized the need for media outlets to verify facts and cross-examine sources before disseminating information, especially on sensitive security matters. India accused Global Times of echoing Pakistan’s narrative and amplifying baseless claims, including the circulation of old images of crashed Indian Air Force (IAF) jets from unrelated incidents-specifically, a MiG-29 crash in Rajasthan in September 2024 and a MiG-21 crash in Punjab in 2021-as if they were related to Operation Sindoor.

India further highlighted that several pro-Pakistan social media accounts were actively spreading misinformation in the wake of the operation, attempting to mislead the public and distort the reality of India's actions. The Indian government's fact-checking unit, PIB Fact Check, had already exposed these attempts to recycle unrelated imagery in the current context.

Operation Sindoor itself was launched as a measured and proportionate response to the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, including a Nepali national. The attack was attributed to Pakistan-based terror groups, with the group "The Resistance Front" (TRF), a front for the UN-proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba, claiming responsibility. India’s strikes targeted nine terror camps identified as hubs of terrorist activity, deliberately avoiding Pakistani military facilities to maintain a calibrated and non-escalatory approach.

Indian officials underscored that, despite the gravity of the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan had taken no demonstrable action against terrorist infrastructure on its soil or in territory under its control. Instead, India accused Pakistan of engaging in denial and counter-allegations, while intelligence suggested further attacks were being planned.

The Indian embassy’s response also served as a warning to international media about the dangers of uncritically amplifying propaganda or misinformation, stressing the importance of journalistic responsibility and accuracy, particularly in times of heightened regional tensions.

India’s sharp diplomatic response to Global Times reflects a broader strategy to counter not just cross-border terrorism but also information warfare, ensuring that the narrative around its counter-terror operations is not distorted by unverified or biased reporting.

NDTV Report