Clip shows Arma 3 gameplay, not downed Israeli helicopters

A clip of downed helicopters taken from a computer game is circulating with the false claim that it shows authentic footage of Israeli helicopters shot down by Hamas forces.

The clip circulated after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct 7, with Israel responding with air strikes on the Palestinian enclave.

The video shows two helicopters flying in a countryside location before being hit with missiles and crashing to the ground.

One user shared the clip via X, formerly known as Twitter, with a caption that reads: “Two helicopters of Israel Shot down by Hamas.”

Reuters traced the video to a YouTube account published on Oct. 3, before the surprise attack on Oct. 7, describing the clip as Arma footage. The title of the YouTube video reads: “Two combat helicopters shot down by anti aircraft defense – Arma.” The video’s description also says, in part: “This not representative of reality it is just a simulation.”