Indian Army Debunks Deepfake Video Falsely Claiming China Seized Arunachal Pradesh Areas

The Indian Army on Monday debunked a digitally manipulated video circulating on social media that falsely attributed remarks to Lt Gen Girish Kalia, claiming China had taken control of areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Indian troops had been denied essential supplies.

The Army’s fact-checking unit said the video contained fabricated statements presented as a “leaked admission” by a senior military officer. It clarified that the footage had been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled lip-syncing and voice cloning to spread military disinformation and create public panic.

The video falsely claimed that China had taken control of Asaphila, Longju and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh, and that Indian Army personnel deployed in the sector were facing shortages of essential supplies.

In a post on X, the Army’s fact-checking unit said the video used synthetic-generated information to attribute statements to Kalia that he had never made.

Army Identifies Original Footage From 2023 Briefing

The Army clarified that the original footage was from a press briefing delivered by then General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 28 Infantry Division, Major General Girish Kalia, in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on October 27, 2023.

The briefing concerned infiltration attempts across the Line of Control (LoC), with Kalia reporting that security forces had foiled 10 infiltration attempts in the division’s area of responsibility over the preceding eight months, resulting in the elimination of 27 terrorists and the recovery of warlike stores and narcotics.

“The video uses #SyntheticGeneratedInformation to falsely attribute remarks to Lt Gen Girish Kalia,” the Army’s fact-checking unit said, clarifying that the officer had made no statements about Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh or the denial of supplies to Indian troops.

In the original briefing, Kalia described repeated infiltration attempts from across the LoC and the security forces’ operations to counter them.

“There has been a constant endeavour from across the Line of Control to disturb the peace and vitiate the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He added that 10 infiltration attempts had been recorded in the division’s area of responsibility over eight months, leading to the elimination of 27 terrorists and the recovery of a large quantity of warlike stores.

Army Warns Against Sharing Manipulated Military Videos

During the 2023 briefing, Kalia also referred to the recovery of narcotics, alleging links between Pakistan’s defence establishments and terrorist groups.

“In addition, we've also recovered a huge quantity of narcotics which establishes a deep nexus between the defence establishments in Pakistan and the terrorist groups,” he said.

He also praised the coordination among security forces and their efforts to maintain peace in the Kashmir Valley.

“The security forces are working in complete synergy today. We are committed to defeat any attempt of the enemy to disrupt the security situation in Kashmir Valley with firm resoluteness and steadfast commitment,” Kalia said.

The Army’s fact-checking unit urged people to verify the original footage before sharing or amplifying manipulated videos.

The incident highlights how AI-enabled tools, including voice cloning and synthetic lip movements, can be used to alter authentic military footage and attribute fabricated statements to serving officers, potentially spreading misinformation about national security.