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KARACHI: Several videos circulating on social media platforms that are being linked to the hijacking of the Jaffar Express are either old, or completely unrelated to the incident.
One of the most viral videos, bearing a ‘BLA’ logo and purporting to show a train being attacked and an explosion along the track in a mountainous area, was found to have been first posted to X (formerly Twitter) on April 15, 2022.
The video has been widely shared by Indian accounts, while a number of Chinese publications have used the visuals in their reporting.
In addition, videos purportedly showing helicopters carrying out an operation against the attackers involved in the train attack was found to have been uploaded to YouTube on Nov 7, 2017.
An Afghan news outlet also posted a 50-second clip to X on March 11, showing a massive fire and smoke, claiming the visuals were of the train torched by terrorists.
A reverse image search of multiple screenshots led to a YouTube video uploaded on March 12, 2025, titled “Super Highway Karachi Meer Chakar Brohi Hotel on fire.”
Another video, containing a threat by the banned BLA, was circulated by several accounts on X. But in the complete footage, a ‘commander’ can be heard mentioning an attack on a hotel in Gwadar in May 2019.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ and UNDP
Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025
