No, These Women IAF Pilots Didn’t Carry Out Air Strike on Pakistan

The IAF has not officially released the names of the persons involved in the air strikes. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

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CLAIM

A photo doing the rounds on social media shows a woman pilot standing with a helmet in her hand.

The caption along with the photo reads: "आज हुए स्ट्राइक में हीसा लेने वाली १ मात्र महिला चालक १ बार जय हिंद ज़रूर लीखे", insinuating that the woman led the team in the air strikes conducted by the Indian Airforce in Pakistan’s Balakot on Tuesday, 26 February.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

TRUE OR FALSE?

A reverse image search of this photo leads to several news articles, which reveal that the woman in question is Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi, who scripted history last year by becoming the first woman fighter pilot to fly solo.

Chaturvedi is among the first batch of three women who were selected by the Indian Air Force to be inducted into the fighter squadron in 2016.

SURAT-BASED URVASHI JARIWALA LED THE AIR STRIKES?

Another viral message on social media claims that a Surat-based girl by the name Urvashi Jariwala led the IAF team that carried out the multiple air strikes in Balakot on 26 February.

The message also claims that the pilot studied at the 'Bhulka Bhavan' school in Surat.

The photo and message have been widely shared on Facebook and WhatsApp as well.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook screenshot)

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook screenshot)

(Photo Courtesy: The Quint)

TRUE OR FALSE?

The woman in the photograph is not Urvashi Jariwala, as the message claims, but Squadron leader Sneha Shekhawat, a reverse image search showed.

According to a Rediff report, Squadron Leader Shekhawat made it to the headlines in 2012 after she became the first woman to lead an IAF marching contingent at the Republic Day parade.

In 2015, Shekhawat again led a marching contingent at the Republic Day parade, only this time, she headed an all-women group of officers from across all ranks.

(Photo: PTI file image)

Now were these women part of the IAF team that carried out the strikes in Balakot on Tuesday?

Speaking to The Quint, the IAF confirmed that these claims were incorrect.

BOOM quoted an unnamed IAF source as saying,

“We have not released any names of any officers. In fact there has been no official statement from the IAF except what the foreign secretary made. All such claims are rubbish.”

Ever since news of the air strikes broke on Tuesday morning, various claims and false videos of the supposed strikes have been doing the rounds. These have already been debunked by The Quint, and can be accessed here.

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