Eight months after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan admits damage to key Nur Khan airbase during Indian strikes
PTC Web Desk: Eight months after the brief but intense military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May, Islamabad has publicly acknowledged the impact of Indian strikes on a major Pakistani military facility for the first time in detail. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Indian drones targeted the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala area during India’s Operation Sindoor, causing damage to infrastructure and injuries to personnel stationed there.
Speaking at a year-end press briefing last week, Dar described the scale of the Indian operation, stating that several drones were launched within a short span. He claimed Pakistan’s air defence systems intercepted most of them, though he conceded that the airbase was hit.
India had launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, 2025, days after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. The operation triggered four days of military escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Nur Khan airbase hit: What Pakistan has now confirmed
According to Dar, Indian drones struck the Nur Khan airbase during the early hours of May 10. The installation is among Pakistan’s most sensitive military facilities, located less than 25 km from Islamabad and housing critical Pakistan Air Force (PAF) assets.
While Islamabad earlier downplayed the impact of Indian strikes, Dar’s remarks mark a significant departure from that position, as he acknowledged both damage and casualties at the base.
Pakistan claims retaliation after airbase strike
Dar alleged that India’s attack on Nur Khan prompted Pakistan to launch retaliatory operations. He maintained that Pakistan had no intention of escalating the conflict, insisting that the country was responding defensively.
He also repeated Pakistan’s claim that several Indian fighter jets were shot down during the aerial engagements on May 7, though no evidence was presented to substantiate this assertion.
Addressing questions on diplomatic efforts, Dar denied that Pakistan sought mediation during the conflict. Instead, he said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan independently expressed interest in engaging New Delhi to help de-escalate tensions.
According to Dar, Rubio contacted him on the morning of May 10, conveying that India was open to a ceasefire. He added that Saudi Arabia later facilitated communication, after which both sides agreed to halt hostilities.
President Zardari’s Bunker remark signals high-level alarm
Dar’s admission follows a striking statement by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who recently revealed that he was advised to move to a bunker as Indian strikes began.
Addressing a public gathering, Zardari said his military secretary urged him to seek shelter, warning that war had started. The president claimed he declined, suggesting leaders should face danger rather than retreat to safety.
In recent weeks, satellite imagery has shown reconstruction activity at sections of the Nur Khan airbase, indicating efforts to repair damage sustained during the Indian strikes.
Although India has not officially disclosed the weapons used during Operation Sindoor, defence analysts believe that precision-guided munitions such as the BrahMos cruise missile or SCALP air-launched missiles or a combination of both may have been deployed. The BrahMos is operated by the Indian Air Force’s Su-30 fighter fleet, while SCALP missiles are carried by Rafale jets.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing position that lasting peace in the region depends on resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue, even as India continues to link military action to cross-border terrorism.
- With inputs from agencies
