None of the images shared in thebelow FB post are recent. These are images from different Naxal attacks that took place in the country over the years.

Dheeshma Puzhakkal Kochi January 16, 2022

Old unrelated photos shared as from recent Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh, a fact check.

Several pictures are being circulated on social media with the claim that they are from the blast site of an IED attack triggered by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh on Friday that injured three Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans.=

The post, that surfaced a day after the attack, claims that the images are from the blast site near Kosronda camp.

India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that none of the images shared along with the post are recent. These are images from different Naxal attacks that took place in the country over the years.

Viral Image 1

The first two images show security personnel carrying an injured jawan and a damaged vehicle. These photos are from an IED explosion that took place in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur in November 2018. According to a report by The Indian Express, this suspected Maoist attack took place amid Assembly elections in the state, and it had injured six – including four BSF personnel.

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Viral Image 3 and 4

These two images showing two jawans in a hospital and a wheelchair were carried by multiple media reports in January 2021. According to news agency ANI, the images are from a Naxal attack on Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) jawans. The two injured jawans were reportedly stable.

Viral image 5

This image showing security forces near a damaged vehicle is over a decade old. According to the Associated Press, the photo is from a Maoist attack that took place in Odisha’s Koraput on August 27, 2013. At least five people died and two others were injured in the incident.

Viral Image 6

We found this image, purportedly of a blast, carried by multiple websites as from a scene from the 1981 Star Wars film, The Return of the Jedi. We then checked for the movie on the OTT platform Disney+Hotstar. Around 13 minutes into this movie, we can see a shot that exactly resembles the viral image.

The same shot from the movie was also uploaded by a user on YouTube.

Viral Image 7

The seventh viral image is from an encounter operation by the CRPF’s COBRA Battalion 208 in 2016. This image was carried by The Indian Express on March 7, 2016. As per this report, three CRPF jawans died and 13 were injured in the chase behind top Maoist leaders in Chhattisgarh.

Viral Image 8

The second last image is from a Maoist guerilla ambush against a police party in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada in May 2018. As per reports, the incident killed seven jawans who were providing security cover to a road construction project. As per a report by the Business Standard, the incident took place ahead of then Union home minister Rajnath Singh’s visit.

The same image was tweeted by ANI on May 20, 2018.

Viral Image 9

The last image with a Times of India logo is also from a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker that took place ahead of the first phase of Assembly elections in the state in November 2018. A BSF jawan was killed by Maoists in the incident.

January 14 IED blast in Chhattisgarh

According to an ANI report, three Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel were injured in a blast triggered by Naxals near the Kosronda camp in Chhattisgarh on Friday, January 14. There was brief firing for around 10 minutes after the blast.advertisement

The SSB jawans were out for railway line protection duty and were patrolling the forest area when the blast occurred.

It is, however, clear that all images in the post are old and not related to the January 14 blast in Chhattisgarh.

courtesy India Today