How Pakistan is rebuilding the Nur Khan base destroyed during Operation Sindoor

Pakistan is rebuilding the Nur Khan base destroyed during Operation Sindoor. Satellite images show that reconstruction work at the strategically important base in Rawalpindi is underway.

India had launched Operation Sindoor in May as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed in April. The Indian Air Force had targeted nearly two dozen terror bases in Pakistan, including those deep inside the country’s territory.

But what do we know about the rebuilding? And why is the Nur Khan base important?

Let’s take a closer look.

What we know, why it is important

The Nur Khan base is located in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala in Punjab province. It was built during British rule and, in World War II, was used to train Allied troops in parachute operations. In the years that followed, it became a transportation and logistics hub.

Nur Khan, located less than 20 kilometres from Islamabad, was previously known as the Pakistan Air Force Chaklala base. It was renamed in 2012 to honour Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan – Pakistan’s former Chief of Air Staff, who also commanded the base and was responsible for modernising the PAF. Until recently, it also hosted the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, which has since been shifted to Islamabad.

More from Explainers

Winged mystery: Was the iconic Lion of Venice sculpture made in China? What are ‘sin goods’ that will attract 40% GST?

Nur Khan is one of Pakistan’s most important airbases. Not only is it home to around half a dozen PAF squadrons, it also houses Pakistan’s Saab Erieye early warning defence system. It is also the base for C-130 Hercules aircraft, Saab 2000s, and IL-78 mid-air refuellers, which makes it invaluable for logistics and strategic airlift operations. According to The New York Times, Nur Khan is “home to the air refuelling capability that would keep Pakistani fighters aloft.”

Several important institutions are also located nearby, such as the General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army – the real power centre in Pakistan – the Strategic Plans Division, which oversees the country’s nuclear weapons, the Pakistan Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, and the PAF College.

Editor’s Picks

1

An orange glow and big bang: How India’s Operation Sindoor took out 9 terror bases in Pakistan and PoK 2

Over 100 terrorists killed, Pak airbases damaged, global message: Why India’s Operation Sindoor is a resounding success

IAF officials have said that Nur Khan played a key role in recent cross-border attacks, particularly in Pakistan’s drone and missile campaigns.

The base also houses planes used to ferry Pakistan’s top military and political elite. Army Chief Asim Munir, who was recently promoted to Field Marshal, departed from Nur Khan for his recent visit to China.

The importance of the base can be gauged by the fact that Munir called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at 2:30 am on the intervening night of May 9 and 10, during Operation Sindoor, to inform him that the base had been struck by India.
“On the night of May 9 and May 10, at around 2:30 am, the Army chief called me from a secure line that India, through its ballistic missiles, had attacked us. One missile hit the Nur Khan airbase and some others hit other areas,” Sharif said.

There were even reports in the aftermath of the attack that Pakistan was considering shifting its General Headquarters from Rawalpindi to Islamabad.

Damage suffered, rebuilding efforts

Satellite images showed that India had inflicted massive damage on the Nur Khan base during Operation Sindoor. They revealed the complex had been completely demolished in Indian airstrikes. This included fuel trucks on fire, a warehouse roof collapsed, and debris near the main runway. Visuals on social media showed the base engulfed in flames.

Satellite images taken before India’s strike had shown “specialised military trucks” at Nur Khan. According to Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher at Intel Lab, these were destroyed during the attack.

Symon wrote on X: “A review of Nur Khan Airbase, Pakistan, reveals the entire complex near India’s strike location has now been demolished, suggesting the strike’s effect went beyond the two special-purpose trucks — possibly presenting a broader footprint of the damage.”

Meanwhile, veteran defence journalist Vishnu Som, on May 14, shared satellite imagery showing “two long trailer trucks with awnings on the sides” had been damaged. He said these trucks could have belonged to Pakistan’s Command and Control facility. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, during a press briefing, also displayed photos showing the extent of the damage the base had suffered.

India has not confirmed which weapons it used to hit the base. However, speculation is rife that it used either the BrahMos or the SCALP missile.

Satellite images from May 17 showed that the area had been cleared. An image taken on September 3 (Wednesday) shows work underway at the site, with new walls already put up. Symon noted on X that the newly erected wall segments are similar to the original building layout of structures that were demolished after the strike.

“India’s strike in May 2025 targeted specialised military trucks at a complex in the airbase and caused secondary damage to neighbouring structures. These structures were later taken down, likely due to structural issues and internal damage,” Symon told India Today.

“The current layout of the new wall sections appears to match the layout of the buildings that were taken down. The rebuilding effort also highlights Pakistan’s intention to restore operational capacity at this site, which is likely integral to airfield operations.”

Experts said that a strike on Nur Khan was a signal from India to Pakistan that nothing was off the table. They described it as an inflection point in the confrontation between the two nuclear-armed nations.

With inputs from agencies