While the Indian Army is receiving praise from all quarters for its surgical strike against militants inside Myanmar, the authenticity of three pictures of army commandos purportedly involved in the operation is being questioned.

The three pictures were first uploaded by ANI News in the following tweets.


Army team that destroyed militant camp in Myanmar. No casualties. Faces blurred to protect identity. pic.twitter.com/fXAVAmxLSM — ANI (@ANI_news) June 10, 2015

Army team that destroyed militant camp in Myanmar. No casualties. Faces blurred to protect identity. pic.twitter.com/7XOKNLqxum — ANI (@ANI_news) June 10, 2015

Army team that destroyed militant camp in Myanmar. No casualties. Faces blurred to protect identity. pic.twitter.com/67QY56Ehjf

Advertisement — ANI (@ANI_news) June 10, 2015

In its eagerness to deliver news before their competitors, media houses latched on to the pictures without probing any further.

It has now emerged that the images were from earlier operations conducted at different parts of India on different occasions.

The matter was first highlighted by Twitter user Suresh INC (@srajendrn), which was picked up by a Pakistani forum Siasat.pk.

these images were seen in all major TV channels..@ibnlive still carrying the fake images. #56InchRocks #CreditChor pic.twitter.com/4vExx6fWQ8 — Suresh INC (@srajendrn) June 10, 2015

It was subsequently shared across other social media platforms such as Facebook. While some took the opportunity to point fingers at the Modi government others raised doubts on the happening of operation itself.

सभी देशभक्त भारतीयों के जेहन में यह सवाल उठ रहा है कि ‘ तथाकथित ‘ रूप से म्यांमार की सीमा के अन्दर घुसकर नागा विद्रोहियो… Posted by Sadhvi Meenu Jain on Wednesday, June 10, 2015

But it must be noted here that the Indian Army cannot be, and should not be, blamed for the pictures row. The army rarely releases pictures of overt operations; covert ones are out of the question.

It was ANI News which tweeted the photos, and the media was the one responsible for its spread.

Even the Modi government cannot be blamed for such a goof up. One can, however, criticise the chest thumping by BJP ministers and some media houses over the operation because it shows Myanmar in poor light.

GOI,next time you launch “covert” ops pls keep them covert.Not good to thump chests over violating another country’s sovereignty.Gdnite — Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) June 10, 2015