AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha M Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday took a jibe at Pakistan Army chief Asif Munir and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and wondered if the armed forces of the neighbouring country would be able to land their "leased Chinese aircraft" at the Rahim Yar Khan airbase which was damaged in Indian strikes.
"Will S Sharif and A Munir be able to land their Leased Chinese Aircraft at Rahim Yar khan Airbase (sic)?" Owaisi wondered in a post on X.
Notably, a Squadron Leader and four other Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel were killed during a series of coordinated missile strikes by India in the early hours of May 10 targeting multiple air defense installations across Pakistan.
In a press briefing, the Indian Air Force confirmed damages inflicted upon the Rahim Yar Khan airbase during the operation and also released satellite images to support their claim.
On Saturday evening, Pakistan declared the only runway at the Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Pakistan’s Punjab province non-operational for a week. According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Saturday evening and in effect till May 18 4.59 AM Pakistan time, the airbase closure was on account of work in progress and shall remain unavailable for flight operations during the said period.
The temporary closure of this airbase and its timing and duration of the closure lent credence to reports that claimed that the facility’s runway was directly hit by an Indian missile, and needed extensive repair work.
As per the airport data available on Flightradar24, the Rahim Yar Khan airbase also houses the Sheikh Zayed International airport. Its sole runway—Runway 01/19—has a bituminous surface and is 3,000 metres or 9,843 feet in length.
The attack on this key airbase came as tensions between India and Pakistan escalated dramatically following India launched Operation Sindoor, a major counteroffensive against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
The operation saw Indian armed forces destroy nine terror camps located in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Pakistan on May 7. Pakistan responded to the operation by launching attacks against several civilian targets spread across the LoC and the International Border which were effectively countered by India.
In response to this provocation, India hit several key military installations and deep within Pakistani territory, inflicting significant damages and virtually crippling Pakistan's military and air defence systems.
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