• Wion
  • /Pakistan
  • /What is Pakistan doing at Nur Khan air base months after India destroyed it during Operation Sindoor

What is Pakistan doing at Nur Khan air base months after India destroyed it during Operation Sindoor

What is Pakistan doing at Nur Khan air base months after India destroyed it during Operation Sindoor

A satellite image shows Nur Khan air base in Islamabad, Pakistan on May 11, 2025 Photograph: (Reuters)

Story highlights

India’s Operation Sindoor destroyed Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base in Chaklala in May this year. Now, satellite images reveal reconstruction efforts are underway. Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir visited the site. 

Months after India's Operation Sindoor destroyed Pakistan's Nur Khan air base in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, reports suggest that Islamabad is rebuilding it. While Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China, Pakistan Field Marshal General Asim Munir visited Chaklala, where reconstruction has begun. Reports shared several satellite images to show that rebuilding is underway on the heavily damaged site. Specialised military trucks that could integrate air and ground assets with communication systems were reportedly seen in the images. These specialised military trucks, walls and nearby structures were taken down by India; however, new images show similar construction on the site. The Nur Khan Base is operated by the No. 12 VIP Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force.

The Indian Defence Forces had disclosed after Operation Sindoor that the Nur Khan Airbase, located in Rawalpindi, was one of the key military installations targeted during their retaliatory strikes against Pakistan. These strikes were launched in response to a series of drone and missile attacks carried out by Pakistan on several Indian bordering states, after India hit terror infrastructure inside Pakistan. India had struck terror sites in Pakistan-based terror group The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. In its strike, India also conducted coordinated airstrikes on multiple other Pakistani military bases to weaken Pakistan’s operational capabilities and send a strong message of deterrence. These targeted bases included Rafiqui, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian — all strategically important military sites housing critical infrastructure and personnel. The airbases at Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad, and Sargodha were reported to have suffered extensive damage from the strikes.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Pakistan's confession about detroyed Nur Khan base

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif admitted that India's BrahMos missile hit many areas inside Pakistan, including Rawalpindi air base, in the early hours of May 10. This statement came even as Pakistan's military, led by Army Chief Asim Munir — now promoted to Field Marshal — claimed victory after heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. It also punctured Pakistan's own narrative that it attempted to show when Pakistani PM visited Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot. to show that Indian strikes did not damage the Pakistani airbases. The visit to Sialkot was also termed as a copycat move as it came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adampur airbase with the S-400 air defence system in the background.

Trending Stories

About the Author

Share on twitter

Navashree Nandini

Navashree Nandini is a Senior Sub-Editor at WION News with over six years of experience covering Indian politics, US politics, global conflicts, foreign policy and education, with ...Read More