Pakistan’s intelligence operatives (PIO) are reportedly reaching out to Indian journalists and civilians, pretending to be Indian defence officials, seeking information about the ongoing Operation Sindoor.

The Indian officials have issued an alert and warned the citizens against responding to such calls, which are being made from an Indian number – +91 7340921702.

“Indian WhatsApp No: 7340921702 is being used by Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIO), pretending as Indian Defence Officials, to call Journalists and Civilians to acquire information on the ongoing situation while “Operation Sindoor" is in progress. Please DO NOT fall for such attempts," Indian officials warned in a statement.

Journalists at Asianet News English also received such calls, which were faking official from the Chief of Defence Staff’s office. The calls were left unanswered.

Amid rising concerns over misinformation, the Ministry of Defence on Saturday urged citizens to stay cautious about fake news circulating on WhatsApp and rely on verified sources for updates.

The Ministry has encouraged people to follow its official WhatsApp channel for authentic information on defence matters.

In a post on X, Ministry of Defence said, "In these sensitive times, a lot of misinformation and fake news is being spread on Whats App. Be cautious and follow our WhatsApp Channel for all authentic information related to Ministry of Defence."