Months-old video shows Pakistani missile, not Afghan test
- Published on November 6, 2025 at 07:56
- 2 min read
- By Rimal FARRUKH, AFP Pakistan
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As a ceasefire halted a week of deadly violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan in mid-October, footage of a missile launch was shared in social media posts falsely claiming it showed a test by the Afghan military. The video has in fact circulated in news reports from BBC Urdu and Radio Pakistan about a Pakistani missile fired at India in May, when days of intense fighting brought the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of all-out war.
"Afghanistan's defence ministry successfully tested a missile with a range of 400 kilometres (248 miles) ... I wonder how this missile was built and tested so quickly. It will be fully investigated," reads the Urdu-language caption of a TikTok video shared on October 17, 2025.
The video shows a missile being launched and streaking across the night sky.
It surfaced as a 48-hour ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan was due to expire, following a week of violence between the South Asian neighbours (archived link).
The one-time allies, who share a 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier, have since agreed to extend the temporary ceasefire and plan to hold peace talks in Istanbul, aiming to defuse tensions after the deadly flare-up (archived link).
More than 70 people were killed and hundreds wounded in violence that erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Taliban authorities blamed on Pakistan.
Security issues have been at the heart of resurgent tensions.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militant groups that stage cross-border attacks, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it says uses Afghan territory as a base. The Taliban government has consistently denied the allegations.
Footage of the missile launch was also shared in similar Facebook, Instagram and X posts.
"Mashallah (God has willed it)," read a comment on one of the posts, while another said: "Long live Pakistan forever."
But the video previously circulated months earlier in reports about a missile launched by Pakistan.
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to an explainer posted by BBC Urdu on its verified YouTube channel on May 11 (archived link).
"What is the 'Fatah-1' missile used in Operation 'Bunyan-um-Marsoos?'" reads its title, referring to a Pakistani military campaign launched on May 10 that saw the country launch ballistic missile strikes on Indian airbases.
More than 70 people were killed in four days of missile, drone and artillery exchanges between the arch rivals in May (archived link).
Relations between New Delhi and Islamabad have remained tense since the deadly clashes -- the worst fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999.
The video contains the same footage, credited to the Pakistani military's communication service (ISPR), and the report says it shows one of the missiles Pakistan launched at India.
AFP's video team said the same video was also shared on May 10 by the ISPR in a WhatsApp group it uses to disseminate official statements and information to journalists.
In the footage shared by national broadcaster Radio Pakistan on May 10, someone can be heard saying: "Today on May 10 at the time of Fajar (prayer between the break of dawn and sunrise) we have given a strong punch to our enemy. Alhamdulilah (praise be to God)." (archived link)
AFP has also previously debunked other misinformation regarding the recent conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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