New satellite imagery available with NDTV indicates that reconstruction activity at Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase is well underway after India’s Op Sindoor strikes in May this year.
Nur Khan, a strategic airbase located less than 25 km from Islamabad, houses key assets of the Pakistan Air Force.
On May 10, India launched a missile attack targeting two special-purpose trucks located within a complex. Both the complex and the trucks, which could have been used for command and control of drone assets, were destroyed.
While India has never confirmed which missiles it used, there is a strong possibility that the facility in Nur Khan was taken out by BrahMos or SCALP air-launched land attack missiles or both. During Op Sindoor, the BrahMos was launched from the Indian Air Force’s Su-30 fighters, while the SCALP was launched from the Rafale.
The sequence of images in this report indicates that the facility, which was struck, had two tractor-trailer trucks with awnings on either side before the attacks.
An image from May 10, 2025, shows that the strikes destroyed both trucks and inflicted heavy damage to neighbouring buildings.
By May 17, the site had been cleared. An image from September 3 (earlier this week) shows new construction work at the site. This includes new walls. “
A sequence of photos showing phases of reconstruction at the Nur Khan base
Recent satellite imagery suggests Pakistan has begun rebuilding the target site India struck at Nur Khan Airbase in May 2025. The Indian operation targeted specialized military vehicles housed within a facility at the airfield, resulting in their destruction and caused collateral damage to adjacent buildings. In the aftermath, several of these surrounding structures were dismantled likely due to compromised internal systems, wiring failures, or structural weakening,” says the Geo Intelligence expert Damien Symon.
The IAF assault on Nur Khan was seen as both tactical and emblematic, targeting a base near the Pakistan Army’s headquarters, which functions as the hub for air mobility operations. These operations encompass Saab Erieye airborne early warning systems, C-130 transport aircraft, and IL-78 mid-air refueling planes, essential for logistics, surveillance, and operational coordination.
“The current construction activity at the site reveals newly erected wall segments that are similar to the original building layout and prior architectural footprint. Given that this portion of the complex sustained only secondary damage during the strike, it is also possible that the rebuild is utilizing pre-existing foundations that remained intact and structurally viable.”
India struck a host of military and terrorist targets, some deep within Pakistan, after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed on April 22.
In an address during the NDTV Defence Summit earlier this month, the Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari said the IAF had given the government a list of operational options within two days of the terror attack. On April 29, targets were shortlisted and operational planning commenced. On May 6, the armed forces had finalised the date and time of the strikes.
India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack commenced on May 7 with the IAF calibrating and escalating its response to drone and missile counter-attacks from Pak forces.
In pan-front calibrated attacks, the IAF struck up to 200 km in depth in Pakistan, the deepest attacks in Pak airspace since the 1971 war.
The IAF targeted terror centres, enemy radars, runways, and hangars housing Pakistan Air Force aircraft, forcing the Pakistani leadership to come to the ceasefire table on May 10.
