Fact-Check: Misinformation continues over ongoing Kathua search ops. Discover the facts here

Pakistan-based handles shared an image on social media platform X(formerly Twitter) showing a security personnel vehicle in a dense forest area and claimed that Intense clashes erupted between Kashmiri freedom fighters and Indian occupying forces in the forests of Hiranagar, Kathua. So far, 12 Indian soldiers have been killed, and several others wounded.

An account named Kashmir English posted this image on X and wrote: “Intense clashes erupt between Kashmiri freedom fighters and Indian occupying forces in the forests of Hiranagar, Kathua. So far, 12 Indian soldiers have been killed, and several others wounded. Resistance against Indian oppression is at its peak”

Furthermore, several accounts shared this image and made a similar claim. The preview link can be seen here and here.

Fact-Check

The DFRAC team investigated this claim and found it to be unsubstantiated. Moreover, the image shared with the claim is actually from the month of february this year.

Firstly, we conducted a Google keyword search regarding the viral claim and stumbled upon some of the latest reports from the Deccan Herald, Telegraph India, and Daily Excelsior.

According to these reports, the massive search operation to track down a group of infiltrating terrorists continued for the third day in a forested area in Kathua district.

An army helicopter was seen hovering over the area as the joint troops of the army, including commandos equipped with heavy weapons, sniffer dogs, drone, and unmanned aerial vehicles continued the search for the terrorists believed to be trapped in the area, the officials said.

In addition, the reports stated that there had been no report of any casualty in the initial firing and the area was kept under a tight security cordon throughout the night before the security forces moved in at the crack of dawn, officials said.

On a related note, a report by India Today mentioned that a girl was injured during a fierce gunbattle that erupted between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua on Sunday evening. She was taken to hospital where her condition was said to be stable.

Taking this investigation further, we reverse-searched the image using Google Lens and found some reports published in February 2025. The reports from The Tribune, Hindustan Times, and Fress Press Kashmir featured the same image and cited that an Army vehicle came under fire from terrorists hiding in the dense forest area of Sunderbani, Rajouri on March 26, Wednesday. The incident occurred in Phal village, located on the Sunderbani Malla road when one or two rounds of bullets were fired at an Army truck moving through the narrow road surrounded by a thick pine forest. The fire reportedly came from an adjacent hill as the vehicle was passing through the area.

Conclusion

It is evident from DFRAC’s fact-check that the viral claim alleging the death of 12 Indian soldiers lacks substantiation since no causalities have been reported in the latest reports as the massive operation to flush out the terrorists, launched by the Indian Army has entered its third day in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua.