A video went viral on social media claiming Afghan Taliban shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet near the border. The clip showed a burning aircraft and was shared widely with captions linking it to Bajaur. Users claimed the jet crashed inside Pakistan and was targeted by TTP or Taliban fighters. Some also said the army was clearing wreckage at the site. However, these claims spread without any official confirmation.
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Soon after, fact-checkers investigated the video and found the truth behind the footage. The video was actually from July 2022, not from recent events. It showed an Indian MiG-21 fighter jet crashing during a training exercise in Rajasthan. Both pilots onboard died in that incident. Indian authorities confirmed the crash and its details back in 2022.
The same video has now been recycled with false captions to mislead viewers. Many accounts claimed it was from October 2025 near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. But keen social media users pointed out the video’s original source and called out the misinformation. Despite this, the fake news kept spreading across platforms like X, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
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The confusion came amid rising tensions on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. On the night of October 11 and 12, Taliban forces fired without provocation across the border. This led to heightened alert and fears of escalation. But even during this tension, no official reports confirmed any aircraft was hit or lost by Pakistan.
In conclusion, the viral video is old and falsely linked to current events. The jet shown was not Pakistani and was not shot down recently. Viewers are urged to verify such videos before sharing. Spreading false information during border tensions can harm public trust and damage diplomatic ties.