Fact Check: Pahalgam terror attack images show deadly aftermath in Baisaran Valley? No, these images are AI-generated

Hyderabad: Twenty-six dead, seven injured in a deadly terror attack in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, more than 100 km south of the capital Srinagar, on April 22. After the Pulwama attack that killed 40 Indian Army soldiers, the attack on April 22 comes across as a deadly targeted attack. Military choppers have been pressed into service to evacuate other tourists from South Kashmir

Amid these developments, several photos claiming to show the aftermath of the terror attack in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, have gone viral on social media. The images depict bodies lying in a valley with police officers attending to them.

An Instagram post carries the caption, “These images of Hindu massacre will haunt the Nation for generations,” featuring four images, one repeated as the cover with the same text overlay. (Archive)

Image 1:

Image 2:

Image 3:

Image 4: Another image, shared by an X user and attributed to the Pahalgam terror attack, shows a woman weeping over a man lying on the ground.

Similar posts can be seen here and here (Archive 1, Archive 2)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral photos are AI-generated and do not show the actual aftermath of the terror attack in Baisaran Valley.

To verify the authenticity of the images, NewsMeter analysed the first photo, which appeared unusually pristine. It had uniform lighting and details lacking the natural imperfections of real-world photography.

Image 1: A reverse image search led to a Facebook post, dated April 22, 2025, claiming, “Heartbreaking Tragedy in Kashmir: Over 20 Innocent Tourists Killed in Terror Attack at Pahalgam.” (Archive)

The post described a massacre in a meadow near Pahalgam, but the image bore a ‘Meta AI’ watermark in the bottom right corner, confirming it was AI-generated. Hive Moderation, an AI detection tool, returned a 99.3 per cent likelihood that the image is AI-generated.

Image 2: The second image, showing two young men’s bodies attended by a police officer, also raised suspicions. A person in the background had distorted facial features and hands, hallmarks of AI-generated imagery. Hive Moderation analysis confirmed a 98.8 per cent likelihood that this image is AI-generated.

Image 3: A keyword search for the third image led to an article by Kashmir Observer titled, ‘Pahalgam Terror: ‘Grieving Bride’ Image Becomes Symbol of Attack,’ published on April 22, 2025.

The article described a tragic image of a woman holding her wounded husband, reportedly on their honeymoon.

Further, We also found a video, shared on Instagram by IndiaToday on April 22, 2025, showing the same woman, with the caption “We were just having bhelpuri... and then he shot my husband,” a survivor of the Pahalgam terror attack recounted in a trembling voice. Therefore, the third image, corroborated by a video and credible report, is authentic, depicting a real moment from the tragedy.

Image 4: The image appears overly polished, with consistent lighting and unnatural clarity in the details of the landscape and figures. Hive Moderation analysis gave a 100 per cent likelihood that the input is AI-generated, confirming this is an AI-generated image.

Therefore, we conclude that the viral photos linked to the terror attack in Baisaran Valley are AI-generated.