Tanks in Military Drill Fall Victim to False Narrative in Viral Video

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Regional Military Command (Kodam Jaya) spokesperson, Col. Arh Herwin BS, on Friday denied that the military had mobilized tanks to guard the borders between Bekasi and Bogor. He asserted the tanks seen in a social media video that went viral were on their way to a regular military drill. 

The viral video, along with the narrative from the person recording it, makes it as if the military is participating in the border patrols amid the government’s ban on the Eid mass exodus or mudik.

“The video that spread proclaims that the TNI mobilized its tanks to the mudik operation is not true. In actuality, they hail from the  Yonarmed-7/105 GS/Biringgalih unit that is conducting a military tactical drill,” said the Kodam Jaya spokesperson.

He explained that the military drill on Thursday noon was held at a nearby field, and that the traffic was temporarily blocked, which was a normal standard operating procedure for a military convoy, as the tanks were traveling between training sites. 

Asked about the narrative from the person behind the viral video, the Kodam Jaya spokesperson said he was unaware who the person was and stressed that the military was a victim of hoax from the person who recorded it. 

“The [information from the video] is a hoax.” he said.

Read: Military Denies Deploying Tanks to Intercept Eid Homecoming Travelers

EGI ADYATAMA