Indian propaganda accounts are circulating old images of Israeli strikes on Gaza and Lebanon, claiming them to be visuals from fresh Indian strikes on Sialkot.

An X account called ‘The Jaipur Dialogues’ shared an image of a city being bombarded with the caption “Sunrise in Sialkot”. The post had gained over 395,000 views as of 11:51pm. The users did not share links to any news stories or official statements. The post has since been taken down.

The same image was shared by other Indian accounts here, here and here.

However, a reverse image search of the purported photo being used in the X posts confirmed the visual was from Gaza, not Sialkot.

A similar brighter image, which displayed the same buildings, was used in an article dated May 19, 2021. The caption for the image said: “Smoke billows from a fire following Israeli airstrikes on multiple targets in Gaza City, early on May 16, 2021. (Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)”

Additionally, another account shared the same image and wrote in the caption: “Sunrise in Sialkot … Guys, if possible, spread as much propaganda against Pakistan as you can, the way they do. If you find something viral, don’t fact-check it. Instead, share it. Attack them mentally too.”

Another image of a strike on Gaza was shared by accounts on X, posing it as an Indian strike on Sialkot. These posts had “pic of the night … Sialkot under attack” written in the captions.

A reverse image search showed that this image was taken from Lebanon.

The image was used in an October 11, 2024, article by The New Indian Express titled: “Israel’s airstrike warnings terrify and confuse Lebanese civilians”.

The caption of the photo said: “Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, October 6, 2024.Photo | AP”

In a post on X, the ruling PML-N said: “India is circulating fake videos claiming unrest in Sialkot. Let it be clear: not even a leaf is out of place. Sialkot is calm, secure, and fully under control.”