Kashmir Terror Attack: Media outlets use screengrab from 2021 video, claim it shows terrorist from Pahalgam incident
Hours after 26 people were killed in a deadly terror attack in the picturesque Baisaran valley in Kashmir, a blurred image showing the backside of a man in a purple kurta with a gun in his hands was viral. Several media outlets shared this picture, claiming these were the first visuals of the attacker.
The April 22 terror attack has been dubbed the most lethal incident targeting tourists in recent history. According to survivors’ accounts, three to four men in army fatigues descended from the dense pine forests surrounding the meadows around 2 pm and fired indiscriminately at civilians enjoying their time. The lush meadows of the Baisaran valley near Pahalgam in Kashmir’s Anantnag district, popularly known as ‘Mini Switzerland’ because of their scenic beauty, are not easily accessible but remain a favourite among tourists who visit on foot or horseback to experience it.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack. Soon after, the image of the kurta-clad man, with a gun, was widely shared by news outlets. Apart from claiming that he was one of the terrorists involved in the April 22 attack, they also identified him as Lashkar commander Adil Goujri.
Media outlet Times Now published a report with this image, calling it the first visual revealing one of the attackers. “The image shows the terrorist running through the Baisaran valley, with an AK-47 in his hand,” the image caption read. Times Now also aired the screengrab on their channel with the ticker “On Cam: Terrorists Who Attacked Tourists”.
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On X, NDTV India, the news channel’s Hindi counterpart, also shared the same image with the claim that the picture of one of the terrorists has surfaced. The X post was later deleted. (Archive)
Other news outlets, such as The Economic Times, CNBC TV18, Mint, Moneycontrol, Tribune, Firstpost and News 24 published similar reports claiming that the purported image was the ‘first’ visual of one of the terrorists, allegedly taken at the attack site. Screenshots below:
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However, The Economic Times and Mint did mention that the “authenticity of the image is yet to be verified”.
Republic World also used the purported image in a report titled, “Pak Terrorists in Army Uniform Led Deadly Pahalgam Attack with US-Made M4 and AK 47/56 Rifles, Got Help From Local Operatives”. Meanwhile, a report by ABP News Hindi focused on BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s Instagram story, where she posted the image and said, “Terrorism has a Religion and so do victims”.
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Other Hindi news outlets, such as Financial Express Hindi, Latesly, News 24, Lokmat News, and Punjab Kesari, also published similar reports. Navbharat Times used the image in a report on eyewitness accounts. FE Hindi’s report claimed that security forces believe the image showed one of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack.
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Fact Check
First, we noticed that the image contradicted eyewitness accounts. Those present at the scene of the incident had told the police that some of the attackers, armed with AK-series rifles, were dressed in camouflage uniforms, while others wore black attire. This does not match the image of the so-called “terrorist” who is seen in a purple Pathani suit.
While investigating further, Alt News found a Facebook video from October 26, 2021. In this, a man is seen firing a gun while performing acrobatic rolls on the ground, seemingly as part of a training exercise.
At the exact 00:28-minute mark of the Facebook video, the screengrab perfectly matches the image being circulated by media outlets.
The video was shared from a Peshawar-based account in Pakistan owned by one Bilal Khan Safi. Alt News noticed that the account had shared a lot of pro-Pakistan content. Note that the video may have been shot earlier and only uploaded in 2021. Alt News was not able to verify when exactly the video was made.
Thus, several media outlets blatantly misreported on a sensitive issue by using an old, unrelated screengrab from a video dating back to at least 2021 with claims that the man seen in it was one of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam carnage.
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