The Indian Air Force (IAF) has hit at least six military and aviation sites in Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces overnight, damaging key infrastructure that could have been used against India. So, what’s the significance of these facilities? What critical equipment and facilities do they have?
Pakistan air force bases in Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Chunian in Punjab and Sukkur in Sindh province were targeted by Indian missiles, the government said. The run of an airport in Rahim Yar Khan – that is situated within 100 km of the International Border – was also damaged with the missile impact, leaving a large crater.
Using a viral video and satellite images, India Today has geolocated the potential location on the Rahim Yar Khan airport’s runway where the Indian missile fell on the intervening night of May 9 and May 10.
India appears to have also hit the runway of Mushaf airbase in Sargodha, according to satellite imagery captured by Landsat satellite at around 11:20 am on Saturday. The attack on this air base was not announced in a press conference held by the government around an hour ago.
Nur Khan air base: The most important of these bases is the one in Nur Khan, Pakistan Punjab. It’s home to Pakistan’s main transport squadrons and is used for logistical and strategic airlift operations. Transport aircraft like C-130 Hercules and Saab 2000, and IL-78 mid-air refuelers along with aircraft to ferry VIPs.
Nur Khan air base also houses a pilot training school and an aircraft maintenance facility. It is responsible for securing Pakistan’s skies around Islamabad and the northern regions. This air base is essential for rapid deployment and mobility.
Murid air base: It serves as a key facility for maintaining the operational readiness of Pakistan’s air assets in the region bordering India. It is home to a fleet of fighter jets and drones. Shahpar 1, Shahpar 2, Burraq, Falco, Bayraktar TB2S, Bayraktar Akinci, CH-4, and Wing Loong 2 are among Pakistan’s high-end drone stationed at this air base.
During a special briefing on the escalating conflict, Colonel Sophia Qureshi stated that Pakistan attempted to strike 26 strategic sites throughout the night, including air bases and transport hubs. A high-speed missile was also fired at an airbase in Punjab at around 1.40 am, while attacks on civilian infrastructure were reported at the medical centres and school premises near Srinagar, Awantipora, and Udhampur airbases.
Colonel Qureshi highlighted that Pakistan persistently engaged India’s western front using drones, fighter aircraft, and long-range artillery. Indian forces, maintaining a posture of restraint, responded only against “pre-identified military targets”, including technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar installations, and weapon storage sites. These included strikes on radar sites at Pasrur and the Sialkot aviation base using precision-guided ammunition launched from fighter aircraft.
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