A video of a plummeting handmade local rocket, used in a traditional rain-calling ceremony in Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, has gone viral online after being incorrectly described as an Israeli-made drone, sent by India and downed in Pakistan amid recent tensions between the countries.
The viral clip, posted on X and Facebook, shows the rocket, known locally as a “Talai”, falling from the sky into a paddy field before spinning off to the right, leaving a trail of smoke.
The caption on an X post, dated May 9, read: “Another Israeli drone sent by India destroyed in Pakistan. The total number of Israeli drones destroyed by Pakistan is now 35.”
The post has been viewed nearly 2 million times and reposted 3,300 times.
On May 8, Pakistan’s military claimed it had shot down 29 drones launched from India.
Many Facebook users also posted the video, falsely describing it as an Israeli drone downed in Pakistan.
According to Reuters Fact Check, the Israeli Defence Force declined to comment.
