Pakistan Government Shares Video Game Footage While Claiming it Downed Indian Jets

Pakistan’s government found itself red-faced yesterday after its official Twitter account shared footage from the popular video game Arma 3 accompanied by a claim it showed the downing of French made Indian Rafale jets.

The tweet has raised fresh concerns about the spread of misinformation from official channels during times of conflict.

The incident unfolded amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, following Indian airstrikes on what New Delhi described as militant targets across the border.

Pakistan, however, claims the strikes hit civilian areas. Since then, the two sides have traded artillery fire, with reports of casualties among civilians on both sides.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister earlier, during an interview with CNN which has gone viral, deflected a request for evidence of the alleged jet takedowns by saying journalists should “check social media," which attracted widespread ridicule from social media users around the world.

Islamabad claims to have shot down five Indian jets, including the advanced Rafale, while India denies losing any aircraft and instead asserts it took down three Pakistani jets, including U.S.-made F-16s.

The online battle has been no less intense.

Social media is awash with recycled videos, false claims, and misattributed footage.

Even state-linked broadcasters in India, Pakistan, and China have circulated questionable content, prompting warnings from analysts about the risks of wartime disinformation spiraling out of control.