Fact-Check: Unrelated, Old Video Falsely Shared as Footage of Pahalgam Attackers

By: Aditya Veer Singh

Note: At the time of publishing this fact-check, the Instagram account was active. However, the user has later deleted the account where the original video was present.

A video posted on the Instagram account @Sadiq999 by a user from Azerbaijan on April 11, 2025, is being circulated on social media with the false claim that it shows the attackers involved in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, India. However, the video has no connection to the incident in Pahalgam.

A short video showing a group of individuals travelling in a car is being shared on social media with the sketch of terrorists of the Pahalgam attack, where users have linked it to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April. 

Some users shared the clip after the terror attack, saying that " These are the dogs who shot after making them recite the Kalma! The bastards are celebrating now." (The original post can be seen here, and the archived version can be seen here)

Is it true? :

No, the claim is misleading. The video is old and has existed on the internet since April 11, 2025, by the Instagram account (_Sadiq999_), which is based in Azerbaijan. It has no connection to the Pahalgam terror attack. (Link to the original Instagram Post)

How did we find out the truth? :

We used Google Lens to take a screenshot of one of the keyframes from the video, which led us to a post with a section of this clip shared by an Insta page called "sadiq999_." 

We also came across the original version of the video, which was shared on Instagram.

The caption associated with the original post includes some promotional text in the Russian Language. A Google translated version of the text on the post reads, "The BMW E46 M3 CSL front springs are one coil shorter than the stock M3, and the springs and dampers have been retuned at each corner to account for the car's lighter weight. Both compression and rebound damping were changed in the process. Visit shop. BIMMERtips.com for genuine BMW parts, aftermarket parts, dealer brochures, vintage magazine ads, posters and more. FREE SHIPPING On all US orders. Link in bio. Visit BIMMERtips.com for paint codes, wheel style guides and other helpful reference information in addition to helpful tips and tricks. Link in bio."

The account tagged as "Content Creator" in its about section has been active on Instagram since February 2024.

 While we could not independently verify the location of the video, past content from the handle and the presence of the same individuals in the older videos from the handle, along with the descriptions of the posts, indicate  that the video has no connection to the terror attack in Pahalgam. 

Conclusion: An old, unrelated video is being shared with the claim that this is the group of terrorists who are responsible for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's  Pahalgam on 22 April 2025.