Operation Sindoor: Pakistan’s air defence failed due to ‘Chinese-made’ HQ-9 system as India destroys targets with precision strikes along PoK terror bases
In a major development, India carried out precision strikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) early Wednesday morning. What stood out in the operation was the complete failure of Pakistan’s air defence system, including its much-hyped Chinese-made HQ-9 missile defence system, which was expected to detect and block such attacks.
What Happened?
Around 1:44 AM, the Indian armed forces launched coordinated missile strikes targeting terror camps belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. These terror groups were behind the recent Pahalgam attack in Anantnag (Jammu & Kashmir) that killed 26 people, including civilians and security personnel.
The Indian missiles flew deep into enemy territory, hitting targets as far as Bahawalpur (100 km inside Pakistan) and Muridke (30 km inside Pakistan) — locations known to be long-time terror strongholds.
Other targets included:
- Gulpur and Sawai Camp inside Pakistan
- Kotli, Barnala, Sarjal, Mehmoona, and Bilal Camps in PoK
Air Defence Failure
Despite the presence of Pakistan’s HQ-9 air defence system, no Indian missile was stopped. The HQ-9 is a Chinese long-range air defence system similar to the Russian S-300. It is supposed to track incoming threats and neutralize them mid-air.
However, none of the Indian missiles were intercepted, suggesting that either the system failed to detect them or couldn’t respond in time. This has raised serious questions about the reliability of Pakistan’s defence infrastructure and the performance of imported Chinese military tech.
India’s Strategy
According to defence sources, the Indian strikes were carefully planned using intelligence gathered over several days. The missiles used were high-precision and designed to cause minimum collateral damage while hitting the exact terror locations. The goal was clear: That is to send a message that India will no longer tolerate cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan’s Response
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the strikes an “act of war” and warned that Pakistan reserves the right to respond. However, the lack of an effective defence against India’s attacks has put Pakistan in a tight spot.
So far, there has been no official confirmation of any counter-strike, but Pakistan’s leadership has vowed retaliation.
Public and global reaction
While many Indians welcomed the strike as a bold move to defend national security, the global community has urged both countries to exercise restraint and avoid escalation. At the same time, international observers are taking note of Pakistan’s failed defences and India’s increasingly accurate strike capability.
What’s Next?
With rising tensions at the border, India has heightened security across 244 districts with civil defence drills in place. Meanwhile, PM Modi has declared that India will chase down terrorists and their backers no matter where they hide.
As of now, all eyes are on what Pakistan does next, and how this latest show of strength changes the security equation in the region.
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