Claim: An image shows Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) forces from Balochistan.
Fact: The image shows Iraq’s special security forces. It is also not recent as it appeared on the internet as early as 2009.
On 13 June 2024, X user @Dukhtar_E_B posted (archive) a picture allegedly showing security forces from the Counter-Terrorist Department of Balochistan. Part of the caption accompanying the image says: “A successful intelligence-based operation by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and security forces in Balochistan has led to the arrest of several terrorists Organization Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders.”
The CTD began its security operation against the terrorist group, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), after receiving intelligence reports about the formation of its network in the province, according to this press release, dated 13 June 2024.
A wanted commander along with facilitators of the terrorist group were arrested.
While the caption matches the details from Dawn’s news report, and the CTD’s press release, the image posted with the caption is misleading.
Soch Fact Check also debunked another misleading claim by this user in March 2024 about a bomb blast in Kabul.
Fact or Fiction?
The image in the claim has been linked to Iraqi security forces over the years, carried by articles mostly about Iraq’s fight against the ISIS terrorists.
In January 2017, Tasnim News Agency reported about the ISIS forces fighting for their last stronghold in Mosul, Iraq, and carried a picture of the Iraqi security forces, which is an exact match of the picture in the claim. Hispan TV’s article from 2015 also carries the same image of the Iraqi security forces in a report about The Iraqi Army’s operations to liberate the city of Ramadi, capital of Al-Anbar province from the control of “the takfiri group ISIL.”
Another article by a Chinese publication, from April 2014, which features a list of special security forces from various parts of the world, includes the image from the claim to depict “Iraqi special forces.”
Moreover, Soch Fact Check found that the image is from as early as 2009 when Radio Liberty included it as the cover image of a report on “the Iraqi police and army,” while a caption under the image also confirms that it depicts the “Iraqi police force.”
Soch Fact Check, therefore, concludes that an image claiming to show the Counter-terrorism Department’s (CTD) forces from Balochistan, actually shows Iraq’s special security forces.
Virality
The X post received at least 5,500 views.
In 2020, the photo was falsely linked to Afghanistan security forces on Facebook here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: An image claiming to show the Counter-Terrorism Department forces (CTD) from Balochistan actually shows Iraqi security forces. The image is also not recent as it appeared online as early as 2009.
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Background image in cover photo: freeworldmaps.net
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