ISLAMABAD: Security sources have disclosed details of a large-scale cyber counter-offensive carried out by Pakistan in response to Indian hostilities, codenamed Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. The operation, spearheaded by the cyber wing of Pakistan’s armed forces, reportedly targeted critical infrastructure across India, inflicting widespread disruption.
According to sources, the offensive caused significant damage to India’s communication systems, including the disabling of official government emails and one-time password (OTP) systems. National communication networks were heavily disrupted as a result.
Key Indian surveillance systems were also reportedly compromised, with hackers dismantling communication hardware and defacing numerous government websites. The sources stated that servers at major Indian airports were taken offline, affecting Indian Air Force communications and interrupting railway operations in multiple regions.
The Pakistani cyber team is said to have penetrated India’s national, eastern, northern, and western load dispatch centres—facilities responsible for managing the national power grid. The breach reportedly led to temporary outages that affected up to 80% of Indian electricity consumers.
Specific impacts included:
- Hacking and disconnection of over 4,600 power feeders in Maharashtra, 3,600 in Uttar Pradesh, and more than 600 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
- Disabling of AI-powered servers at a load dispatch centre in Indian Punjab.
- Disruption of more than 235 solar and wind grid stations in Karnataka.
In addition to energy systems, the databases of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) and Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGPL) were allegedly compromised. Over 4,400 routers used in government and public-sector communications were also taken offline.
The offensive included a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack targeting Indian government, military, air force, financial, and public-sector servers. This reportedly paralyzed internal communications, email systems, and OTP-based authentication mechanisms.
The cyber operation also compromised more than 3,500 CCTV cameras installed in key locations such as government buildings, hospitals, highways, and public areas. In IIOJK, over 250 internet service provider (ISP) routers were breached, causing localized internet outages.
Additionally, data was reportedly extracted from over 90 government and corporate websites, including those belonging to the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Border Security Force, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), and Indian Railways.
These revelations come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, with both countries engaging in aggressive posturing on multiple fronts.
