A set of user generated videos based on a militaristic video game is is being falsely shared claiming it shows the Israeli air defence system in action shooting down fighter aircrafts from Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. The viral video has also included a real footage from 2009 showing firing from a counter rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) gun.
The five minute clip has shots from user generated modification to a video game called 'ARMA 3', a military sandbox game that was released by Bohemia Interactive and part of a real footage dating back to 2009, to give it a sense of veracity.
The video is being shared in the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which escalated after several Palestinians were injured after the Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and dispersed worshippers elsewhere in East Jerusalem. This led to an escalation of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians as the conflict intensified on May 11, 2021, night, as Israeli airstrikes began targeting Hamas offices in Gaza City and militants in Gaza fired rockets at the metropolis of Tel Aviv, the southern city of Ashkelon and Israel's main airport, reported the New York Times.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had also posted confirming that the Iron Dome air defence systems were being used against Hamas rocket attacks.
The viral clip is being shared with the caption, "Video, that shows Israeli forces shot down more than two dozen fighter aircrafts from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Latest defence ( Iron Dome ) technology is seen, precision laser technology."
Viral on Facebook
On searching with the same caption on Facebook, we found that the viral clip is being shared with the false claim.
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM broke the video into its key frames and performed a reverse image search. We found the same clips uploaded to YouTube with a description stating that the video has been taken from the video game ARMA 3 and customised.
We can spot similar visuals in these simulation clips that have been uploaded on YouTube from the ARMA-3 video game.
We can also spot C-RAM being used as in the viral clip to shoot down enemy targets in this simulation from the game.
We were able to ascertain that the scene is custom-made by one of its players through developer-enabled modifications, and is not a part of the original game.
The original game is set in the period of 2030s where players can undertake a variety of military operations through the fictitious character of United States (US) Corporal Ben Kerry in its single-player campaign.
BOOM had previously debunked clips from the same game that had gone viral in January 2020, falsely claiming that it showed America's anti-missile batteries shooting down Iranian Missiles
Also Read: Video Game Footage Shared As US Shooting Down Iranian Missiles
We also found that the visuals at the end of the viral video showing a Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) firing in the air dates back to 2009 was was uploaded to YouTube stating that it is from Iraq.
BOOM could not independly veirfy the incident as seen in the last scenes of the video, however we could confirm that the visuals date back to 2009 and are not from the recent Israel - Palastine conflict as being claimed.
Additionally, we did not find any credible news reports stating that Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan have attacked Israel or there was an exchange of fire between these countries as being claimed in the viral post.
(Additional reporting by Sujith A)
