Viral Claims of PAF J-10C Mid-Air Collision Are Fabricated
The recent surge of social media posts[1] alleging a mid-air collision between two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) J-10C fighter jets near PAF Base Minhas (Kamra) has generated widespread attention and concern. According to these viral posts, the incident resulted in massive plumes of black smoke and unspecified casualties. Some of the posts attempted to lend credibility to the narrative by including a screenshot purportedly from Al Jazeera. However, investigations reveal that no such report exists, and no credible news outlet, whether international or local, has documented such an event. The Pakistan Air Force adheres to stringent operational safety protocols, and any real collision would have prompted immediate confirmation or statements from PAF and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The absence of official communication strongly indicates that the viral claim is entirely baseless.
Misattributed Visual Evidence
A closer examination of the videos and images accompanying these posts shows that they do not depict the PAF or any Pakistani aircraft. One widely circulated clip, showing massive fire plumes, originates from the Level III fire [1]that engulfed approximately 4 square kilometers of the Aarey Forest in Mumbai on December 5, 2018. This video has been repeatedly repurposed on various platforms, detached from its original context, and misrepresented as evidence of a PAF mid-air collision. Another clip circulating online originates from the Saint Therese area [2]in southern Beirut, Jabal Lubnan, dated 6 October 2024. It shows violent raids during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, captured in live news coverage and shared on interactive maps, unrelated to the current events being reported.These instances demonstrate a pattern of reusing unrelated footage to create fabricated narratives targeting Pakistan.
Patterns of Disinformation
The viral J-10C collision story aligns with documented trends of misinformation campaigns against Pakistan. Reports from EU DisinfoLab and other independent fact-checking agencies have highlighted systematic operations on Indian social media that spread anti-Pakistan content. A 2025 study revealed that approximately 35–40% of trending anti-Pakistan stories were either misleading or entirely fabricated. These campaigns often involve doctored images, manipulated screenshots from legitimate news sources, and unrelated video clips presented out of context to fabricate incidents. The J-10C narrative clearly fits this pattern, combining misrepresented fire footage from Indian events with fabricated media references to create a sensational but entirely false story.
The Role of Visual Manipulation
The deliberate use of misattributed visuals serves to heighten the perceived credibility of fabricated stories. By presenting dramatic fire footage from unrelated incidents as evidence of a PAF accident, the disinformation campaign manipulates viewers’ perceptions and amplifies outrage. Such practices exploit emotional responses and nationalistic sentiments, often prompting rapid sharing and virality on platforms such as X. The combination of repurposed visuals with falsified media screenshots demonstrates how fabricated content can gain traction when users fail to verify sources or context.
Conclusion
The viral claim of a mid-air collision involving PAF J-10C fighter jets near PAF Base Minhas is entirely fabricated. The accompanying videos and images are misattributed, originating from Indian events in 2018 and 2025, and bear no connection to the Pakistan Air Force. The purported Al Jazeera article cited in posts does not exist, and no official communication from PAF or ISPR supports the narrative. This disinformation fits a larger pattern of anti-Pakistan misinformation campaigns identified by independent agencies, demonstrating the use of visual manipulation and fabricated claims to mislead audiences. Users are strongly advised to verify sources, examine media context, and rely on credible reporting before sharing sensational claims, particularly in matters involving national security and defense operations.
This detailed analysis confirms that the J-10C collision story is a classic example of a deliberate disinformation campaign, leveraging misattributed visuals and falsified media references to mislead public perception.
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