Fact Check: No Security Personnel Killed In Reasi Terror Attack; 2014 Kabul Photo Shared With False Claim

Fact Check: False claim circulated on social media alleging 10 Indian Army soldiers killed in J&K attack. Unrelated photo from a 2014 Kabul incident was used to support the claim.

Fact Check: Social media users widely shared a photo of a group of security personnel examining a bus, with the claim that 10 Indian army soldiers were killed in the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi. The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that the attack claimed lives of nine pilgrims, but no security personnel was killed or even injured. An old and unrelated photo from Kabul, dating back to July 2014, was shared as recent on social media with the false claim.

On June 9, terrorists opened fire on a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from the Shiv Khori temple. The bus, ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others.

Claim

An X (formerly Twitter) user shared on June 10 a photo of a group of soldiers in examining a bus, with the claim that 10 Indian Army personnel were killed in the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi.

The caption of the post read, “#BREAKING: Massive News⚠️
A major attack on a bus carrying #IndianArmy soldiers in #Reasi #JammuKashmir, has just been reported. Local police confirm that ten (10) Indian soldiers have been killed. #ไบร์ทเนเน่ #Perletti #QueenOfTears #Pushpa2 #LovelyRunner #MySiblingsRomance #런쥔이왔당 #oriele”

Here is the link and archive link to the post and below is a screenshot of the same:

Investigation

On running the viral screenshot through Google Lens, the Desk found that it was shared by several other users with similar claims. 

Three such posts can be seen here, here and here, and their archived versions can be viewed here, here and here, respectively.

The post was widely shared on X as well. Two such posts can be found here and here and their archive versions can be seen here and here respectively.

On further scanning the results, the Desk came across a video report published by BBC News on July 2, 2014.

The title of the report read: “Afghan suicide bomber attacks military bus in Kabul”

Here is the link to the report and below is a screenshot of the same: 

While watching the video report, the Desk noticed striking similarities between its visuals and the viral photo. Below is a combination image, comparing visuals of the two:

According to the report, a suicide bomber killed eight military officers in an attack on an Air Force bus in the Afghan capital Kabul. 13 people, including civilians, were wounded in the attack near Kabul University.

In the next part of the investigation, the Desk conducted a customised keyword search on Google and came across a PTI report carried by The Hindu on June 10.

The title of the report read, “Reasi bus terror attack: Four from Rajasthan, three from U.P. among nine victims”

Here is the link to the report and below is a screenshot of the same:

The report confirmed that the nine killed and others injured in the attack were all pilgrims from different cities of UP.

We then scanned the social media (Facebook and Twitter) handles of Reasi Police, and came across a post, dated June 9.

The caption of the post read: “Today a group of terrorist attacked yatri bus coming from Ransoo area of District Reasi. Due to the attack driver of bus lost control and bus fell into the deep gorge near kanda area of Pouni Reasi. Due to the accident, 09 people are feared dead and rest injured. Rescue operation was completed at the earliest and injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals.

Senior officer of police and other forces rushed on the spot and area is been cordoned off. Search operation launched.”

Here is the link to the post and below is a screenshot of same:

Subsequently the Desk concluded that no security personnel was injured in the Reasi terror attack. An old and unrelated photo dating back to July 2014 was shared as recent on social media with false claim.

CLAIM
10 security personnel were killed in the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi.

FACT
No Army personnel was injured in the attack. All those killed and injured in the attack were pilgrims. An old and unrelated photo from Kabul was falsely linked to the recent terror attack.

CONCLUSION
Several social media users shared a photo of some security personnel standing near a bus and claimed that 10 Indian Army soldiers were killed in a recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi. In its investigation, the Desk found that no Indian security personnel was injured or killed in the incident. An old and unrelated photo from Kabul, dating back to July 2014, was shared as recent on social media with false claim.

This story was originally published by PTI Fact Check as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline, excerpt, and the opening introduction para, this story has not been edited by ABPLIVE staff.