Pakistan scrambles to rebuild Nur Khan airbase hit by Operation Sindoor, new satellite imagery shows

File image of the damage inflicted by Indian strikes at Nur Khan Airbase in Pakistan.

Pakistan appears to be quietly restoring parts of a sensitive airbase struck during India’s Operation Sindoor earlier this year, even as its top leadership continues to use the facility for overseas travel, reports India Today.

Fresh satellite images obtained by India Today from US-based Maxar Technologies show major reconstruction work underway at Nur Khan Airbase near Rawalpindi, the same site where Indian missiles destroyed what analysts believe were high-value military assets.

Earlier this week, two of the Pakistan government’s VVIP jets landed in Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. One aircraft carried Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who departed from Lahore, and another carried Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir from Nur Khan base. Just metres from the runway used by Munir’s jet, rebuilding work has begun at the area hit by Indian strikes.

Pre-strike satellite images had shown “specialised military trucks” at the targeted complex, which were destroyed during the attacks, according to Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher at Intel Lab. Analysts believe these vehicles could have acted as Command and Control centres, integrating air and ground assets with communication systems.

Symon told India Today: “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.”

He added: “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.”

The latest Maxar imagery captured on Wednesday shows new wall sections and groundwork at the complex, signalling Pakistan’s urgency to restore the facility despite the damage inflicted by Indian missiles. The No. 12 VIP Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force, nicknamed the Burraqs, operates from this base and is tasked with transporting the country’s top leadership, including the President, Prime Minister, service chiefs and cabinet ministers.

The imagery also reveals a VVIP jet resembling a Bombardier Global 6000 and a military transport aircraft parked close to the reconstruction zone. Munir has been using the PAF Global 6000 for overseas travel while his regular Gulfstream underwent three months of maintenance at the UK’s Farnborough centre. That aircraft has since returned to Pakistan, and another Gulfstream, J755, is also believed to be at Nur Khan.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister had earlier confirmed the strike and recalled how Munir personally informed him about the incident. “I got a call at 2:30 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,” he had said.

The combination of new construction, continued VIP flights and the sensitive nature of the base suggests Pakistan is determined to quickly restore what was lost during the strike. The rebuilding effort also highlights how India’s operation hit a nerve at one of Pakistan’s most protected installations, exposing vulnerabilities in the country’s military infrastructure even as its leaders publicly downplay the attack.