In early May 2025, tensions between India and Pakistan reached a boiling point after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which India attributed to Pakistan-based militant groups.
In response, India reportedly launched “Operation Sindoor,” targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) using air and missile strikes. Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile attacks on Indian military and civilian targets, most of which were intercepted by Indian air defenses.
Amid this volatile situation, social media platforms and several news outlets began circulating sensational claims that the Indian Navy had launched a direct missile attack on Karachi Port, Pakistan’s largest commercial harbor. These reports specifically mentioned the involvement of India’s flagship aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, suggesting a major escalation reminiscent of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, when the Indian Navy famously targeted Karachi.
Viral videos and images, purportedly showing the aftermath of the attack with large explosions and widespread destruction at Karachi Port, further fueled the narrative and stoked public sentiment on both sides of the border.
Claim
The central claim is that the Indian Navy, spearheaded by INS Vikrant, conducted a missile strike on Karachi Port, causing significant destruction to Pakistani naval and commercial infrastructure.
The claim is supported by viral videos and news reports suggesting that the attack was a decisive and historic military action by India in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.
Fact
A thorough review of credible news sources and fact-checking platforms reveals the following:
- No Official Confirmation: There is no official statement from the Indian government, Ministry of Defence, or the Indian Navy confirming a missile strike on Karachi Port. While Indian naval assets, including INS Vikrant, were reported to be on high alert and deployed in the Arabian Sea, their official activities were limited to heightened readiness and surveillance.
- Misattributed Viral Video: The primary video circulating on social media, which allegedly showed the aftermath of the Karachi attack, was analyzed by fact-checkers at Alt News. They determined that the footage was actually from a plane crash in Philadelphia, USA, in February 2025. The video was falsely presented as evidence of destruction in Karachi.
- Media Reports Based on Unverified Sources: Outlets such as Financial Express, ABP Live, and Business Today reported on explosions near Karachi and Indian naval mobilization. However, these reports relied on unnamed sources and did not provide verifiable evidence of a missile strike. Pakistani authorities also did not confirm any such attack on Karachi Port.
- Heightened Military Activity: Both India and Pakistan did increase their naval presence in the Arabian Sea, and there were reports of overlapping naval exercises. However, this is not unusual during periods of heightened tension and does not constitute evidence of a direct attack.
Top three sources attributing the fact:
- Alt News (debunking the viral video as unrelated to Karachi)
- Financial Express (reporting no official confirmation of a naval strike)
- ABP Live/Business Today (reporting on naval mobilization and unverified explosions)
Conclusion
Classification: Misleading Content
The claim that the Indian Navy, led by INS Vikrant, launched a missile attack on Karachi Port is misleading. While there is confirmation of increased military mobilization and readiness in the region, there is no credible or official evidence supporting the claim of a missile strike on Karachi Port.
The viral video used to support the claim was misattributed and unrelated to the incident. The story manipulates real events (military tension, naval deployment) and presents them out of context to create a false impression of a confirmed naval strike, which has not occurred according to all available credible sources.
