An image showing masked youths pelting stones is being widely shared on social media claim that it shows recent clashes that erupted at Srinagar’s Batmaloo area during a cordon and search operation (CASO). On February 19, two policemen died in Srinagar after being shot by suspected militants.

The image was shared on 'JK news media' Facebook page with a caption saying, "FLASH: Massive Clashes Erupted During Ongoing CASO In Batmaloo Srinagar."

Several other users on Facebook are sharing the image with the same caption. 

The truth behind the claim 

In our investigation, we found that the viral image is old and not related to the recent clashes in Kashmir. The picture was taken in Batmaloo during violent protests in July 2016. 

With the help of reverse image search, we found this image on 'Getty Images' website.  The caption says that the picture was taken on July 28, 2016, when protesters in Srinagar’s Batmaloo area clashed with security forces after Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in a gunfight.

The picture was clicked by AFP photographer Tauseed Mustafa. Burhan Wani was killed on July 8, 2016, following which the Valley faced its worst unrest since 2011, with at least 49 people killed and over 3,000 injured in clashes.

Moreover, we could not find any recent media report saying that any such clashes erupted during search operations in Srinagar.

In conclusion, an old image of clashes in Srinagar dating back to 2016 is being falsely shared as a recent one from the Batmaloo area in Srinagar where clashes erupted during a cordon and search operations by security forces.