Information war: Are India and Pakistan telling the truth about attacks?

Competing news briefings. Divergent claims. And conflicting narratives.

As Indian attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early on May 7 pulled the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of a potential military conflict, a parallel war quickly broke out – over information.

Within hours of the Indian strikes, authorities on both sides put out claims and counterclaims that have been amplified on social media as each country tries to control the narrative in its favour.

Five Indian jets were downed, Pakistan said, for instance. India has yet to respond to the claim, but Indian officials who requested anonymity said three jets had crashed in India-administered Kashmir but did not confirm whether they were Indian or Pakistani planes.

Here is a look at what both India and Pakistan have claimed so far – and how they have a history of competing narratives that often allow them to each assert wins over the other to their respective domestic audiences while making independent verification of the truth harder.