Satellite Evidence Reveals Pakistan's Reconstruction at Airbases Targeted in 2025 Indian Strikes

Left- the site at Nur Khan Airbase destroyed by IAF, Right- 2 new structures at the airbase.

New Delhi:

Recent high-resolution satellite imagery obtained by NDTV reveals Pakistan has cleared debris from a hangar at its Sukkur airbase that was struck by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025.

The Sukkur facility, believed to house Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), was targeted between 2 am and 5 am on May 10, just hours before Pakistan approached India for ceasefire talks that eventually ended hostilities between the two nations.

The site targeted by the Indian Air Force has now been completely levelled. The original post-strike satellite imagery from Maxar (now Vantor) had shown complete destruction of the UAV hangar with evidence of significant vegetation fire around the structure's periphery.

The Sukkur hangar collapsed after being hit by a precision-guided missile, suffering severe structural damage with vegetation burnt along its edges. Current imagery shows the site has been cleared, with no new structure visible at the location. A second hangar adjacent to the destroyed one appears undamaged.

According to Damien Symon, a prominent geo-intelligence researcher and OSNIT expert at The Intel Lab, "The Sukkur hangar sustained major structural damage. Imagery from the time revealed major roof collapse inward, among other damage. Newer imagery shows the site has finally been demolished, a process that began in October 2025. The cleanup delay likely resulted from prolonged safety evaluations or potentially hazardous materials remaining under the rubble that needed clearing before demolition could commence."

Additional imagery presented in this report shows the site of a command-and-control centre at Pakistan Air Force's Nur Khan Base in Chaklala, which was also struck by the IAF on May 10. New structures now appear at this location, where two large tractor trailers, believed to be Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), were targeted during the attacks.

Pakistan's Nur Khan base in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, is situated just 10 km southeast of Islamabad. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif previously stated, "I got a call at 2:30 (Saturday, May 10) on a secure phone from army chief General Syed Asim Munir who informed me that India just now launched ballistic missiles, and one of them fell at the Nur Khan Airport, and the other fell in some other areas."

A chronological sequence of satellite images from April 25 to November 20, 2025, shows the evolution of Pakistan's Nur Khan Airbase. The first image displays two special purpose vehicles that were destroyed on May 10. The site has since been cleared, with two completed structures now visible.

Damien Symon notes, "India's strike on Nur Khan targeted specialised military vehicles but also caused heavy collateral damage to adjacent infrastructure. The buildings around the impact site were leveled and have been replaced by a fresh structure. While the new construction occupies the previous foundation, its design differs from the demolished structures. This newly built structure measures approximately 20×25 meters and appears to comprise two independent but adjoining sections."

Though India has never confirmed using ballistic missiles in these attacks, military experts believe the Indian Air Force deployed various air-to-surface missiles, including SCALP missiles from Rafale fighters, Rampage missiles from MiG-29 and Su-30 jets, and BrahMos missiles from Su-30 aircraft to conduct deep strikes on multiple Pakistani airbases.

India's escalation came after intense Pakistani drone and missile activity beginning May 8. During the night of May 8 into early May 9, India detected increased drone activity across thirty-six locations along the front.

Approximately 400 Pakistani drones were detected attempting to saturate Indian air defenses, locate and target radars, and surface-to-air missile systems. Pakistan's attacks also included launches of CM-400 cruise missiles targeting India's Russian-built S-400 surface-to-air missile site in Adampur, alongside heavy artillery exchanges along the Line of Control.

India responded to Pakistani aggression on May 8-9 by what it described as "shaping the area of operations in case of further escalation," which involved targeting Pakistani air defense sites using armed drones. At least one such site was destroyed.

By the night of May 9, both sides had intensified their attacks, with Pakistan launching standoff attacks on major IAF airbases including Udhampur, Pathankot, and Bhuj, though no substantial damage was reported at any of these locations.

That same night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a call from US Vice President JD Vance, who warned that US intelligence had detected Pakistan's plans for dramatic military escalation. Modi later stated in parliament, "If Pakistan intends to carry out such an attack, it will have to pay a very heavy price. That's exactly what I told the US Vice President."

India launched a massive escalation in the early hours of May 10, striking not only Sukkur and Nur Khan but also Rahwali, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Murid, Nayachor, Sargodha, Bholari, and Jacobabad. The IAF also engaged several Pakistani aircraft, including an Airborne Early Warning platform and fighter aircraft.

The military confrontation began winding down at 3:35 pm on May 10 when Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations, Major General Kashif Abdullah, contacted his Indian counterpart, Lt. General Rajiv Ghai, to discuss ceasefire terms. The ceasefire took effect at 5 pm that day, though actual fighting between forces took more than 24 hours to completely stop.

This brief conflict between India and Pakistan lasted approximately 88 hours, beginning after India struck nine Pakistani terror camps, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters in Bahawalpur and Muridke on May 7. It concluded on May 10, but not before the Indian Air Force had conducted its deepest strikes on Pakistan since the 1971 war.