Image showing attacks carried out by military in KP’s Bajaur

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image and keyword search as well as searched for news stories to corroborate the claim.

Posts from multiple users on social media platform X since July 29, 2025, shared an image, claiming it shows attacks carried out by the military in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district amid the recent security operation. However, the image is actually from September 2019 and shows aerial strikes conducted by US warplanes on an island in northern Iraq.

Security forces imposed a three-day curfew at 16 places in the Bajaur district on July 29 and initiated an operation against militants in the areas.

Local protesters alleged that a number of innocent people were killed and wounded during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists.

HOW IT STARTED

On July 29, an X user, who appeared to be a supporter of the rights group Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement from his previous posts and cover photo, shared an image showing bombing and plumes of smoke, fire and ashes.

The caption of the post read: “These are not scenes from Syria, Iraq, Palestine or Kashmir, but rather the Bajaur region of Pakhtunkhwa, where, since this morning, the Pakistani army has been entering civilian populations and carrying out attacks, causing significant damage to the populations and raising fears of casualties. This is the state of life for Pashtuns in Pakistan.”

The post was accompanied by the hashtag “Bajaur under state attack”.

The post gained 6,550 views.

The image was also widely shared by other PTM supporters with similar captions on X as can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to keen public interest in the military operation in Bajaur, which has generated local anger and criticism, and to address the potential harmful impact of such posts.

Investigating the social media posts that shared the image showed comments from users who flagged the photo as being old, adding that it was not from Bajaur.

A keyword and reverse image search led to news reports by Fox 32 Chicago, Sky News and CNN Arabic published on September 10, 2019.

According to the reports, the image showed airstrikes carried out across the mile-and-a-half-long Qanus Island in northern Iraq by United States F-15 and F-35 fighter jets.

The operation, jointly conducted by the US-led coalition forces and the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, aimed to “annihilate” an Islamic State hideout.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that an image shows attacks conducted by the Pakistani military in Bajaur is false.

The photo actually shows the US bombing of an island in northern Iraq and dates back to September 2019.

Evidence and References

September 10, 2019, Fox 32 Chicago report:
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/us-bombs-isis-infested-island-in-iraq-new-video-shows

September 10, 2019, Sky News report:
https://news.sky.com/story/is-infested-island-wiped-out-by-40-tonnes-of-explosives-11806797

September 10, 2019, CNN Arabic news report:
https://arabic.cnn.com/middle-east/video/2019/09/10/v79118-coalition-bombs-isis-position