Beijing, Sep 2 (IANS): The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has punished 15 people for spreading military-related rumours online, according to the PLA Daily.
The rumours included "inside stories" and the military's "latest reform programs", as well as fabricated information on the PLA, the paper said, Xinhua reported.
The PLA will work with the police to intensify the crackdown on the spreading of rumours and illicit information, according to the paper.
China has been improving its investigation into allegations of online rumours with strict measures rolled out in recent days.
A total of 197 people have been punished in a campaign targeting online rumours about the stock market, the recent fatal explosions in Tianjin and other key events, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Public Security on Sunday.