(Image source from: Livehindustan.com)
India has delivered a strong rebuke to the Chinese state media outlet, Global Times, for disseminating false information aimed at distorting public perception regarding India's cruise missile attacks targeting terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). Reports from Global Times featured outdated images of downed aircraft in relation to Operation Sindoor, during which India conducted 24 precise missile strikes across nine locations identified as centers of terrorist operations. In a statement on the social media platform X, the Indian embassy in China advised, "We urge Global Times to fact-check and scrutinize its sources meticulously before releasing misleading information." The embassy highlighted that several pro-Pakistan accounts were propagating unfounded allegations concerning Operation Sindoor, misleading the public. They emphasized that the dissemination of such unverified reports by media organizations represents a significant failure in maintaining journalistic integrity and accountability. The Indian government noted that their official fact-checking unit, PIB Face Check, had recently exposed instances of misinformation, including outdated images of crashed planes being reintroduced in the context of Operation Sindoor.
One of the images pertains to an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29 fighter jet that crashed in Rajasthan in September 2024, while the other features an IAF MiG-21 from Punjab in 2021. India also drew attention to the terrorist attack that occurred in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. "We must inform you of the specifics regarding this matter. On April 22, 2025, terrorists from Pakistan and those trained by Pakistan, associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, executed a horrific assault on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. They targeted individuals based on their religious identity, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, including one Nepalese national, marking the highest civilian death toll from a terrorist attack in India since the Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008," the Indian embassy stated.
The Pahalgam assault was characterized by extreme violence, with most victims shot in the head at close range in front of their families. The manner of the killings was particularly traumatic, serving a grim purpose of sending a message, the Indian statement noted. "A group named The Resistance Front (TRF) has claimed responsibility for this heinous act. This organization serves as a front for the UN-listed terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. India has previously reported on TRF’s activities in its biannual reports to the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee Monitoring Team in May and November 2024, highlighting its function as a facade for terrorist networks operating from Pakistan," the embassy concluded.
In December 2023, India had previously alerted the monitoring team regarding the operations of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) through smaller terror networks like the TRF. India pointed out the significance of Pakistan's insistence on excluding any mention of TRF from the UN Security Council Press Statement issued on April 25. The statement read, “Despite two weeks having elapsed since the attacks, Pakistan has failed to make any visible efforts to dismantle the terrorist networks located within its borders or in areas it controls. Instead, it has only offered a series of denials and accusations. Our intelligence has indicated that further attacks orchestrated by Pakistan-based terrorist factions are on the horizon,” the embassy remarked.
Today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed gratitude to the armed forces for their successful cruise missile operations. He asserted that India exercised its right to retaliate following the terrorist assault in Pahalgam, located in Jammu and Kashmir. The targeted sites of the Indian cruise missile strikes included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal, all of which had been recognized as centers of terrorist activity.
