FALSE
During the 2025 India-Pakistan tensions, viral claims spread that Indian forces had launched a ground invasion of Karachi. BOOM Live, Alt News, and international news agencies confirmed no such invasion occurred. The claims used recycled war footage, video game graphics, and fabricated military communiques. Reuters Institute analysis documented how fact-checkers on both sides worked to counter the flood of crisis misinformation.
The 2025 India-Pakistan crisis, triggered by the Pahalgam attack, saw an unprecedented surge of misinformation on both sides. Among the most explosive false claims was that India had launched a ground invasion of Karachi. BOOM Live debunked videos claiming to show this "invasion" as recycled footage from Syria and video game clips. No credible military or government source ever confirmed such an operation. The Reuters Institute documented how Indian fact-checkers processed thousands of viral claims during the crisis, working at unprecedented speed to counter war misinformation.
The Viral Claims
Videos spread on WhatsApp and social media claiming to show Indian troops landing in Karachi, with captions announcing a "full invasion" [2].
Other claims alleged the capture of key Pakistani military installations and political figures [3].
What Actually Happened
The 2025 crisis involved military strikes but no ground invasion of Pakistani territory. Official statements from both governments never mentioned operations in Karachi [4].
International observers and satellite imagery showed no evidence of the massive troop movements such an invasion would require [5].
Debunking the Videos
BOOM Live traced "invasion footage" to years-old videos from Syria and Iraq, repurposed with new captions [2].
Some viral clips were identified as footage from the video game ARMA 3, passed off as real military action [6].
Fact-Checker Response
The Reuters Institute documented how Indian fact-checkers worked around the clock during the crisis, processing thousands of claims in days [1].
Cross-border collaboration between Indian and Pakistani fact-checkers helped counter misinformation on both sides [14].
Conclusion
Claims of an Indian ground invasion of Karachi during the 2025 crisis were completely false. The viral content consisted of recycled war footage, video game graphics, and fabricated reports. No such military operation occurred. This case demonstrates how crisis situations create fertile ground for war misinformation that can escalate tensions.