The Indian Army has refuted a digitally altered video circulating on social media that falsely attributes fabricated remarks to Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Spear Corps (3 Corps). The manipulated clip claims that China has taken control of Asaphila, Longjou (also referred to as Longju in some reports) and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh, and that Indian Army personnel deployed in the region have been denied essential supplies.
The Army’s official fact-checking handle, Indian Army Fact Check (@MythbusterXX), issued a clarification on 25 October 2026. It stated that the video employs synthetic-generated information—specifically AI-generated lip-syncing and voice cloning—overlaid on archival footage to create a deceptive narrative.
In its post, the Army said: “A digitally altered video is being circulated with fabricated remarks attributed to Lt Gen Girish Kalia, claiming that China has taken control of Asaphila, Longjou and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh and that the Indian Army has been denied essential supplies. The misleading video attempts to portray fabricated statements as a leaked admission by a senior Indian Army officer. The video uses #SyntheticGeneratedInformation to falsely attribute remarks to Lt Gen Girish Kalia.”
The Army traced the original footage to a press briefing delivered on 27 October 2023 in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir. At the time, Kalia was a Major General serving as GOC of the 28 Infantry Division. During the briefing, he addressed counter-terrorism operations and infiltration attempts across the Line of Control (LoC). He reported that security forces had foiled 10 infiltration attempts, eliminated 27 terrorists, and recovered substantial quantities of warlike stores, ammunition and narcotics. The original briefing contained no references to China, territorial control in Arunachal Pradesh, or any restrictions on supplies to Indian troops.
The Army described the manipulation as an attempt to spread military disinformation and create unnecessary public alarm. It outlined the pattern as “Old military briefing + Digitally manipulated remarks + False attribution + Fabricated territorial claims = Misleading military disinformation.”
Citizens have been advised to remain vigilant against such content, verify information through authentic sources before sharing unverified videos or claims, and recognise AI-generated and digitally altered material. The Army emphasised the importance of preventing the spread of misinformation concerning national security and military operations.
Lt Gen Girish Kalia (AVSM, VSM), currently GOC of Spear Corps headquartered near Dimapur, has operational responsibility that includes areas of Arunachal Pradesh. The clarification comes amid other recent Army fact-checks addressing circulating claims related to the region. The report draws on inputs from the Army’s fact-check and ANI.
The Army has reiterated its commitment to transparency by directing the public to original sources and authentic channels for information on military matters.
