The dust has settled on the war-like situation between India and Pakistan after four days of intense military action, which had sparked widespread global concerns of a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
On Saturday, the Pakistani DGMO reached out to his Indian counterpart following which both sides mutually agreed to halt military action and firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB). Though Pakistan breached the ceasefire understanding hours after the talks, the overall situation has shown signs of de-escalation.
India's move to strike 10 Pakistani airbases with BrahMos, HAMMER and SCALP missiles—an action even bigger in scale than Operation Sindoor—reportedly triggered serious concerns in the neighbouring country.
According to a News18 report, Pakistan realised it was exposed to “annihilation" as it faced the prospect of its nuclear facilities being taken out in Indian retaliation.
Nur Khan attack—The turning point
Notably, India's attack on Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase in Chaklala early Saturday may have marked the turning point in the tit-for-tat escalation between the two neighbours.
The strategic airbase is located just 10km from Pakistan's capital Islamabad and serves as a highly sensitive military compound.
Surrounding the erstwhile Benazir Bhutto International Airport, the base, formerly RAF Station Chaklala, handles both military operations and VIP transport missions. It houses multiple transport squadrons, aerial refueling units, and PAF College Chaklala, a training ground for future air force leaders.
According to a report in The New York Times, the base also serves as a central transport hubs for Pakistan’s military and the home to the air refueling capability that powers Pakistani fighter jets.
However, the most significant detail is that the base lies in close proximity to the headquarters of Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, which oversees and secures the country’s nuclear arsenal—now estimated to comprise 170 or more warheads. These warheads are believed to be spread across various locations throughout the country.
The NYT report said that India's air-to-surface missile attack on the Nur Khan base became a significant cause for concern for Pakistan as India had almost reached the heart of the country's key nuclear unit.
A US official familiar with Pakistan’s nuclear programme told The New York Times that Pakistan’s deepest fear was of its nuclear command authority being decapitated. "It could have been interpreted as a warning that India could do just that."
Footage from social media shows the exact moment when Indian missile attack the Nur Khan base, causing a massive explosion. Some satellite images circulating on social media also show the heat signature and damage caused to the base.
Moneycontrol could not independently verify the authenticity of these videos or images.
A report by the Indian Express said that India chose to attack the Nur Khan base and others to target Pakistan military's technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar sites and weapon storage areas.
Tensions between the two neighbours soared significantly after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday launched Operation Sindoor, conducting precision strikes to target terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.
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