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In a telling move that tacitly acknowledges the scale of damage inflicted by India’s recent military strikes, the Government of Pakistan has floated urgent repair tenders for multiple airbases battered during Operation Sindoor. The Indian Armed Forces launched the precision offensive on May 7, 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure and military assets deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Tender documents accessed by BharatShakti reveal widespread structural damage to airbases in Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Risalpur, and Kallar Kahar. The listed works include rebuilding runways, hangars, air defence infrastructure, and critical logistics facilities — an implicit confirmation of the operation’s effectiveness, despite Pakistan’s earlier attempts to downplay the strikes.
Operation Sindoor: Swift, Precise, Devastating
Described by Indian officials as a “pre-emptive, coordinated strike,” Operation Sindoor was a joint operation by the Indian Army and Air Force aimed at eliminating cross-border terrorism networks. According to official briefings, nine major terror launch pads operated by Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen were neutralized, with over 120 militants killed.
But the operation didn’t stop at terror camps. Indian forces also targeted key Pakistani military installations. Thirteen major airbases were struck, including Nur Khan from Rawalpindi, Mushaf in Sargodha, and Shahbaz in Jacobabad notable locations, along with Rafiqui, Bholari, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, and Skardu. Additionally, there are installations located in Malir Cantonment, Karachi.
Evidence from the Skies
Satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies and corroborated by IAF briefings has since confirmed significant damage to at least ten targeted bases.
At Rahim Yar Khan, a massive crater has rendered the main runway completely inoperative. At Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, home to Pakistan’s F-16 and JH-17 squadrons, multiple sections of the runway were destroyed — craters reportedly measuring up to 15 feet in radius. Indian military briefings in New Delhi presented high-resolution visuals, further substantiating claims of surgical precision.
The strikes were reportedly carried out using a sophisticated array of guided bombs, standoff weapons, and long-range cruise missiles integrated through platforms like the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Akashteer battlefield management grid.
Pakistan’s Counterstrikes — and Counterclaims
Following the strikes, Pakistan mounted a limited counteroffensive using missiles and drones aimed at Jammu, Amritsar, and Bhuj. Most were intercepted mid-air, thanks to India’s layered air defence systems, including S-400s, Akash, and Samar missiles.
A particularly alarming attempt to target the Golden Temple in Amritsar was thwarted in real-time by Indian defences, averting a potential national and diplomatic crisis.
Pakistan’s response arsenal included Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles, Turkish drones, and indigenously manufactured rockets — but Indian officials assert that few reached their intended targets.
Denial Meets Reality
For days, Islamabad dismissed reports of substantial damage, claiming its forces had “repelled the aggression” and inflicted losses on Indian installations — claims that were neither supported by evidence nor echoed by independent observers.
Now, the release of official repair tenders has done what no press conference or propaganda video could — confirm the depth of the impact.
Analysts say the damage marks Pakistan’s most significant airpower setback since the 1971 war, with far-reaching implications for the region’s strategic balance.
Huma Siddiqui
