#FactCheck: AI-Generated Footage Fuels False Claim of Strike on Al Udeid Air Base
Executive Summary
The ongoing conflict between the US-Israel and Iran has entered its third week. During this period, Iran reportedly targeted the US military base at Al Udeid in Qatar. Amid this, a video is going viral on social media showing people, vehicles, and chaos following an alleged attack. Some users are sharing it as footage of an Iranian missile strike on the Al Udeid Air Base. However, an research by the CyberPeacefound that the viral video is not real but AI-generated.
Claim:
An Instagram user “thenewscartel” shared the video on March 17, 2026, with the caption: “Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (March 16, 2026): Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at the US military’s largest Middle East base near Doha as retaliation for US-Israel strikes in Tehran. Qatar’s Defense Ministry confirmed multiple launches. Most were intercepted by Qatari air defense. One missile landed near the base or in an uninhabited area. No casualties or major damage reported. Explosions were heard in Doha, and smoke was seen in the sky.”
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we closely examined the viral video. We observed multiple visual inconsistencies—one person appears to be walking in reverse, another disappears and reappears, and the body shapes of people distort as they begin to run. These anomalies strongly indicate AI manipulation. We then analyzed the video using the AI detection tool Zhuque AI, which indicated an approximately 80 percent likelihood that the video is AI-generated.
Further analysis using Hive Moderation showed around a 57 percent probability of the video being AI-generated.
Conclusion:
Our research found that the viral video being shared as footage of an Iranian attack on the US military base at Al Udeid in Qatar is AI-generated and not related to any real incident.
Related Blogs
Introduction
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to provide a framework and eco-system for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to deal with cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs approved a scheme for the establishment of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in October2018, which was inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah in January 2020. I4C is envisaged to act as the nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country. Recently, on 13th March2024, the Centre designated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) as an agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to perform the functions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, to inform about unlawful cyber activities.
The gazetted notification dated 13th March 2024 read as follows:
“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 79 of the Information Technology Act 2000, Central Government being the appropriate government hereby designate the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), to be the agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs to perform the functions under clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section79 of Information Technology Act, 2000 and to notify the instances of information, data or communication link residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by the intermediary being used to commit the unlawful act.”
Impact
Now, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is empowered to issue direct takedown orders under 79(b)(3) of the IT Act, 2000. Any information, data or communication link residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by any intermediary being used to commit unlawful acts can be notified by the I4C to the intermediary. If an intermediary fails to expeditiously remove or disable access to a material after being notified, it will no longer be eligible for protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000.
Safe Harbour Provision
Section79 of the IT Act also serves as a safe harbour provision for the Intermediaries. The safe harbour provision under Section 79 of the IT Act states that "an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by him". However, it is notable that this legal immunity cannot be granted if the intermediary "fails to expeditiously" take down a post or remove a particular content after the government or its agencies flag that the information is being used to commit something unlawful. Furthermore, Intermediaries are also obliged to perform due diligence on their platforms and comply with the rules & regulations and maintain and promote a safe digital environment on the respective platforms.
Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, The government has also mandated that a ‘significant social media intermediary’ must appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Resident Grievance Officer (RGO), and Nodal Contact Person and publish periodic compliance report every month mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken thereon.
I4C's Role in Safeguarding Cyberspace
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is actively working towards initiatives to combat the emerging threats in cyberspace. I4C is one of the crucial extensions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, working extensively to combat cyber crimes and ensure the overall safety of netizens. The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ equipped with a 24x7 helpline number 1930, is one of the key component of the I4C.
Components Of The I4C
- National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
- National Cyber Crime Training Centre
- Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit
- National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation Centre
- National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem
- Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation Team.
Conclusion
I4C, through its initiatives and collaborative efforts, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding cyberspace and ensuring the safety of netizens. I4C reinforces India's commitment to combatting cybercrime and promoting a secure digital environment. The recent development by designating the I4C as an agency to notify the instances of unlawful activities in cyberspace serves as a significant step to counter cybercrime and promote an ethical and safe digital environment for netizens.
References
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/centre-designates-i4c-as-agency-of-mha-to-notify-unlawful-activities-in-cyber-world-2936976
- https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/home-ministry-authorises-i4c-to-issue-takedown-notices-under-it-act-124031500844_1.html
- https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/it-ministry-empowers-i4c-to-notify-instances-of-cybercrime-101710443217873.html
- https://i4c.mha.gov.in/about.aspx#:~:text=Objectives%20of%20I4C,identifying%20Cybercrime%20trends%20and%20patterns
Executive Summary
A video showing several houses being swept away by floodwaters is being shared on social media, claiming that it shows flooding in the Rasuwa area of Nepal. Research done by the CyberPeace research wing found that the video is not from Nepal, but is from the floods that occurred in Keyi Panyor district of Arunachal Pradesh in June.
Claim
The video was shared on X with the caption: “Another horrifying scene from the devastating floods in Nepal has emerged. Several houses were destroyed within moments by the strong current.”
https://x.com/anjalikumari009/status/2093257147094335652
FactCheck
During our research of the video being shared as footage of floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa area, we conducted a reverse image search using keyframes and found a longer version of the video posted on an X account on June 24, 2026. The caption accompanying the video identified it as footage of a flash flood and the resulting devastation in Nipko Colony, Possa, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district, on June 24.
https://x.com/NagaZapu/status/2069747140608331962
During the research, we also found videos of the flooding in Nipko Colony uploaded on several social media accounts from Arunachal Pradesh on June 24. These posts contained visuals matching those seen in the viral video.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/977442025167230
Additionally, we found a video report uploaded on June 24, 2026, on the Facebook account of a media outlet from Arunachal Pradesh. The report featured footage of the flooding in Nipko Colony. In the audio accompanying the video, the person recording the footage can also be heard describing the devastation caused by the floods.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1571580381035813
Additionally, we found visuals matching those in the viral video in a 4-minute-35-second video posted on the Press Trust of India’s X account on June 24, 2026. According to media reports, around three people were killed in the floods in Nipko Colony, while approximately 18 houses were swept away.
https://x.com/PTI_News/status/2069747746525835341
Conclusion
The evidence gathered during our research clearly establishes that the video being shared as footage of the floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa area is actually from the floods that struck Keyi Panyor district in Arunachal Pradesh on June 24.
Introduction
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT-In, is the national statutory agency that responds to Cybersecurity Incidents under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India. CERT-In and Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) have joined hands to develop a focused pool of Cybersecurity Leaders through the National Cyber Security Scholar Program (NCSSP). This National Cyber Security Scholar Program is to create a pool of credible and ethical cybersecurity leaders in the country who prioritise national cyber security in their professional endeavours. This program allows both organisations to jointly issue joint certifications for Cohort 6 of the National Cyber Security Scholar Program (NCSSP). This certification is provided to cybersecurity professionals who complete one of the world’s leading cybersecurity management programs.
About the Program
The National Cybersecurity Scholar (NCSS) is a comprehensive 18-week, 160-hour Instructor-led program for emerging cybersecurity leaders. The ISAC will conduct the program with CERT-IN and KDEM as knowledge partners. This Cyber Security Scholar program aims to provide an extraordinary opportunity, for scholars, to gain hands-on experience in real-world scenarios through activities such as war games. It will allow scholars to acquaint themselves with roles such as that of stakeholders, including attackers, Security Operations Centre (SOC) teams, Forensicators, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and CEOs, and engage in tabletop exercises that simulate a cyber crisis. This program would allow scholars to understand how responses to cyber crises impact the financial performance of an organisation, including, stock prices and sales. It offers a treasure trove of insights into the economic impact of cybersecurity decisions and the importance of proactive risk management.
The program invites applications from various scholars including Mid to senior-level leaders, diplomats and diplomatic corps officers, mid to senior-level government officials involved in homeland and cybersecurity operations, experienced executives from Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs), faculty members who specialise in new and emerging technologies, cybersecurity professionals in CII sectors and post-doctoral or research scholars in cybersecurity.
CyberPeace Outlook
The National Cyber Security Scholar Program subsumes several key dimensions working towards building a resilient cybersecurity ecosystem for India.
- The program focuses on skill development and enhancing scholars’ knowledge in domains of network security, ethical hacking, cyber forensics, incident response, malware analysis, and threat intelligence.
- The partnership between CERT-In and ISAC, government and Industry entities, ensures that scholars are exposed to different policy-level frameworks and technical expertise, offering a unique blend of perspectives that cater to the country's national security goals and industry best practices.
- The scholar program encourages the development of new methodologies, tools, and frameworks that could be instrumental in tackling future cyber challenges and advancing India's position as a global leader in cybersecurity research and development. Research and innovation in cybersecurity are critical to the program.
- It plays a significant role in providing opportunities for career development by further providing networking platforms with professionals, researchers, and thought leaders in the cybersecurity field, giving them exposure to internships, job placements, and further academic pursuits.
This program aims to support upskilling India’s broader cyber defence strategy through the creation of highly skilled professionals. The scholars are expected to contribute actively to national cybersecurity efforts, whether through roles in government, private sector, or academia, helping to create a more secure and resilient cyberspace. The National Cyber Security Scholar Program is a major advancement in strengthening cybersecurity resilience in India. In a digital world where cyber threats crossing boundaries, such programs are essential for maintaining our national security and economic stability.
References
- https://theprint.in/ani-press-releases/cert-in-and-isac-collaborate-to-develop-focussed-pool-of-cybersecurity-leaders-through-the-national-cyber-security-scholar-program-ncssp/2318021/
- https://isacfoundation.org/national-cyber-security-scholar/
- https://cyberversefoundation.org/national-cyber-security-scholar/
