Amid the ongoing search operation to flush out the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur, news is going viral on social media site X (Twitter) alleging that an Indian Army Colonel, who was leading the operation, has been abducted by the terrorists in Udhampur.

A Pak-based handle by the name of Ironclad, known for spreading misinformation frequently and notably withheld in India, shared an image on X and wrote: ”#BREAKING Indian Army Colonel Prakash Kumar, who was leading the operation, has been kidnapped by Kashmiri freedom fighters in Udhampur. A massive search operation has been launched by the Indian army and special forces”

In addition to this, the news has been shared by several users on X(Twitter).

Fact-Check

To determine the veracity of the above viral news, the DFRAC team searched some keywords on Google and found that no media reports had been published in this regard. Moreover, no such updates or tweets are available mentioning the above viral news. On the contrary, we found some media reports from ANI and The News Mill published on 29 April 2024.

Media reports from ANI and The News Mill

A media report by ANI stated: “After a Village Defence Guard (VDG) member was killed in Udhampur by terrorists, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Udhampur-Reasi range, Rayees Mohd Bhat, said on Monday that they have strengthened their intelligence and the operation is underway”.

The report further added: ‘’The operation is underway. Our search parties are searching in deep jungles. We have pushed in drone surveillance. Tracking of the freshly infiltrated group is underway. We have strengthened our intel,’ he said”.

Furthermore, another media report by The News Mill also cited similar facts in the context of an ongoing search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur.

Conclusion

It is evident from DFRAC’s fact-check that the viral news claiming the abduction of an Indian colonel by the terrorists amid the ongoing search operation in Udhampur is completely fake since no such news or update has been found mentioning the above news.

Analysis: Fake