Manipur: Old and unrelated video shared as rocket-propelled explosive used in Moirang

Violence between various ethnic groups in Manipur has persisted for months, leading to significant loss of life in the northeastern state. Recently, there have been reports of rocket attacks by suspected militants in the region. Amidst this backdrop, a video showing the firing of explosives, such as rockets and mortars, has been widely shared on social media, with claims that it depicts a recent incident in Manipur. The video shows explosives like mortars being launched in a hilly area.

Manipur journalist Abiema Lisham shared the video on Twitter, presenting it as a recent event. Lisham described the footage as showing a homemade RPG or a foreign-funded weapon, stating that such rocket-propelled projectiles are extremely dangerous and have led to a fatality in Moirang, Manipur. (Archived link)

You can call it a homemade RPG or a foreign funded one, but this rocket-propelled projectile is highly dangerous which has already claimed a life in #Moirang.
Such weapons are illegal, & Indian security forces must crack down on anyone possessing such weapons.#ManipurViolence pic.twitter.com/PBXApVcogN

— Abiema Lisham (@AbiemaLisham) September 13, 2024

Another social media user, Ouro Kenobi, made a similar claim while sharing the video, warning about the destructive power of these rocket-propelled projectiles and mentioning the reported death in Moirang. (Archived link)

Fact Check

A reverse image search of various frames from the viral video on Google led to its original upload on a YouTube channel named GUANGFU CHEN, dated November 8, 2018. This discovery confirms that the video predates the current events in Manipur and is unrelated to the ongoing conflict.

Additionally, the Manipur Police issued a clarification regarding the video, confirming that it was an old incident and had no connection with the current situation in Manipur.

Fake information. ⚠️

This video is not related to Manipur.

The original video was posted on 8th Nov 2018 by YouTube Channel ‘GUANGFU CHEN’.https://t.co/2ImEHz3h8u pic.twitter.com/X1TknAqDM8

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) September 14, 2024

To sum it up, several social media users falsely circulated an old and unrelated video showing the firing of explosives like mortars, incorrectly linking it to the recent insurgency in Manipur.

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