New Delhi, May 29: The Central government on Thursday categorically denied a viral social media post claiming that a MiG-29 UPG fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was shot down and its pilot killed on May 7.

The PIB Fact Check unit has termed the claim fake and far from the truth, clarifying that the pilot in question is safe, on duty, and actively deployed.

"A post circulating on social media claims that an Indian Air Force jet MiG-29 UPG has been shot down, and the IAF pilot has died. This claim is fake. The @IAF_MCC pilot is safe, on duty, and currently deployed,” the official PIB Fact Check handle said in a post on X.

The fabricated post appears to be linked to Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror operation launched in response to the terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.

The fake message, which is being widely circulated, claims that on May 7, a MiG-29 UPG was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force JF-17C over Ramban in Jammu & Kashmir, resulting in the death of Squadron Leader Keshav Yadav.

The misleading post reads: "On 7 May 2025, #IndianAir Force (#IAF) MiG-29 UPG shot down by a #PakistanAirForce JF-17C using a PL-15 LRAAM over Ramban, Jammu & Kashmir, was being piloted by Sqn. Ldr. Keshav Yadav (IAF No. 32394), who sustained injuries and died on 22 May 2025 at Udhampur Military Hospital, Jammu & Kashmir. #IndiaPakistanWar #IndiaPakistanWar2025 #JF17 #MIG29"

Dismissing the claim outright, the government emphasised that no such incident took place on May 7 or at any other time.

“The claim is entirely fabricated. No IAF aircraft has been shot down, and the pilot mentioned is alive and on active duty,” the PIB Fact Check post clarified.

Officials have urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information and warned that spreading fake news, especially on matters of national security, can have serious consequences.

--IANS

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