IAF C17 Airlifts 800 Indians From Afghanistan? Netizens Circulate Old Photo of US Air Force Rescuing Philippinian Residents After Typhoon Haiyan With Fake Claim
The photo that is going viral on social media platforms claiming to be that of Indians evacuated from Kabul in an aircraft, is fake news. The viral photo is old and dates back to November 22, 2013, in which Tacloban residents in the Philippines, who were displaced by Typhoon Haiyan.
New Delhi, August 18: Viral pictures showing people jam-packed inside an aircraft claiming to be Indians airlifted from Afghanistan, is doing rounds on social media platforms. The pictures that have been widely shared by several users on Twitter show an overcrowded plane claiming that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has rescued as many as 800 Indians from Kabul, where the Taliban has gained power. A search conducted by the LatestLY fact check team found that the fake photo of IAF C17 in the picture is originally the photo of US Air Force plane rescuing Phllippinian residents from typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
The photo that is going viral on social media platforms claiming to be that of Indians evacuated from Kabul in an aircraft, is fake news. The viral photo is old and dates back to November 22, 2013, in which Tacloban residents in the Philippines, who were displaced by Typhoon Haiyan, were filled the cargo hold of a C-17 Globemaster aircraft during Operation Damayan before departing from Tacloban.
Sharing the fake information, a Twitter user said, "IAF C17 airlifts from Kabul airport with 800 Indians. A record which previously stood at 670". Another user said, "Indian Air Force rescues Indians from Afghanistan. IAF C 17 with 800 people airlifted.. probably a record".
Here are the tweets with fake claims:
Here's the truth behind the fake claims:
Amid the chaos in Afghanistan, India on Tuesday safely evacuated over 150 citizens, including diplomats from Afghanistan amid the chaos following the Taliban takeover. The C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the IAF took off from Kabul Airport and landed at Jamnagar airbase in Gujarat. Prior to this, the C-17 Globemaster aircraft had evacuated around 180 Indians on Sunday.
Fact check
IAF C17 aircraft airlifts 800 people from Kabul in Afghanistan, sets a record.
The fake photo of IAF C17 in the picture is originally the photo of US Air Force plane rescuing Phllippinian residents from typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2021 11:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).