After the Pahalgam terror attack, the homes of the two men, suspected to be the Pahalgam attackers, were demolished by the security forces. According to reports, the house of Lashkar terrorist Adil Hussain Thoker was blown up using IEDs, and the house of Asif Sheikh in Tral was demolished with a bulldozer. Against this backdrop, a video of a burning house amid a firing went viral on social media. Sharing the video users claimed that the video shows the house of terrorist Mohammed Asif being blown away by the Indian army following the Pahalgam terror attack.
However, as we investigated, we came to know that the claim was misleading. The viral video is old and unrelated to the Pahalgam terror attack. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by taking some screenshots from the viral video and conducting a reverse image search. This led us to a YouTube channel where the viral video was uploaded on 12 May 2021. The description of the video reads, “Vailoo kokernag encounter in which 3 militants where killed. Militant can be seen clearly in video trying to escape from the encounter site.”
It is worth mentioning that Vailoo is a village in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated on the banks of the Brengi Nallah and is known for its association with Kokernag, a major tourist destination. Kokernag is famous for its freshwater spring, considered the largest in Kashmir, and its surrounding natural beauty.
Taking this clue, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This led us to another YouTube channel where the video was uploaded on 12 May 2021. The description of the video read, “Kokernag Encounter: Militants Made Abortive Bid To Escape Before Being Killed”
Another video report can be seen below.
We found news reports on the incident that can be read here and here.
This makes it clear that the viral video is old and unrelated to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the claim is misleading. The viral video doesn’t show the house of the Pahalgam attackers being blown up. The video is old and unrelated to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Title:Old Video Went Viral As The House Of The Pahalgam Attackers Being Blown Up.
Fact Check By: Debanjana BaishyaResult: Misleading
