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A significant intelligence failure by a Pakistani Air Defence officer, who allegedly revealed the position of a critical air defence system on social media, reportedly enabled a successful Indian drone strike in Karachi.
According to analysis by renowned military historian Tom Cooper, the officer's online activity allowed Indian forces to pinpoint and destroy a Chinese-manufactured HQ-9 long-range missile unit during "Operation Sindoor" in May 2025.
In a detailed account published on his blog, Cooper explained that a Pakistani officer, described as being active on social media, posted photographs of himself with the advanced HQ-9 system.
These images, believed to have been taken at Hafta Bazaar Ground in Karachi's Steel Town, inadvertently provided precise location data (coordinates: 24°52’09″N 67°20’20″E).
Indian intelligence agencies reportedly utilized open-source intelligence (OSINT) methods to verify the location, confirming the deployment of the missile battalion tasked with protecting the airspace of the major port city.
The officer's post, likely intended as a display of military strength, instead provided actionable intelligence to India.
On May 11, 2025, Indian forces are said to have launched an attack using SkyStriker drones, which are loitering munitions, or "kamikaze" drones, manufactured in India by a joint venture with an Israeli firm. The strike successfully demolished the high-value air defence asset.
Cooper’s analysis indicates that the Karachi strike was part of a coordinated strategy to systematically dismantle Pakistan's air defence network. This wider operation allegedly included strikes on two other HQ-9 battalions near Lahore and Gujrat, employing a large number of Israeli-made Harop and Polish Warmate attack drones, causing Pakistan's air defence infrastructure to suffer a systematic collapse.
The destroyed asset, the HQ-9, is a sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missile system often compared to the Russian S-300. As one of China's premier air defence systems, it is capable of engaging hostile aircraft and missiles at a range of up to 200 kilometres, making it a cornerstone of a nation's strategic defence.
Its placement in Karachi was meant to secure vital assets, including the city's port and military installations. While social media posts on X on May 20, 2025, appeared to corroborate the attack on the Karachi-based unit, no official confirmation has been issued by either Indian or Pakistani authorities.
The incident casts a harsh spotlight on the operational security protocols within the Pakistan Armed Forces. The ease with which a single social media post could allegedly lead to the neutralization of a multi-million dollar defence system highlights a critical vulnerability.
Cooper's findings suggest that this lapse in discipline, combined with India's growing capabilities in intelligence gathering and precision-strike warfare, poses a significant challenge to Pakistan's defence strategy in the digital age.
