Old photo shows military helicopter in Afghanistan, not crackdown on Pakistan militants

"What spectre has cast a shadow over my city? Even if the sun rises, the dawn cannot break through. Bajaur operation,"  reads the Urdu-language caption of an image shared on X on July 29, 2025.

The image appears to show a military helicopter firing ordnance over fields in a lush green valley.

It was shared as Pakistani authorities launched "Operation Sarbakaf" in Bajaur, an area in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near to the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported the security operation was targeting "militants affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as well as the Islamic State of Khorasan (ISKP), the local affiliate of the transnational Islamic State group" (archived link).

Around 300 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in provinces bordering Afghanistan, according to an AFP tally (archived link).

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Screenshot of the false X post captured on August 12, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The same image was also shared in similar X posts and on YouTube.

"Why do you give sanctuary to terrorists? if you provide sanctuary to terrorists, there will be no mercy for anyone," read a comment on one of the posts.

Another said: "Terrorist sympathisers must be dealt with harshly."

But the circulating image was not taken during the security operation in Bajaur.

A reverse image search on Google led to the same photo on the Alamy platform (archived link).

"An AH-64 Apache helicopter shoots flares over a valley to support members of the 8th Commando Kandak and coalition special operations forces during a firefight near Nawa Garay village, Kajran district, Daykundi province, Afghanistan, April 3," reads part of its caption. 

"Coalition SOF partners with the 8th Commando Kandak to conduct operations throughout Daykundi, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces. AH-64 Apache in Daykundi - 2012." 

The same photo can also be seen on the website of the US Department of Defense (archived link).

Its caption reads: "An AH-64 Apache helicopter releases flares over a valley to support coalition special operations forces and Afghan soldiers during a firefight near Nawa Garay village in the Kajran district of Afghanistan's Daykundi province, April 3, 2012."

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the US Department of Defense photo (right)

AFP has debunked similar claims from Pakistan that in fact show images from Afghanistan.