Operation Sindoor: 8 Pakistani Air Force Bases India wreaked havoc on with ‘precision strikes'

Mint

13-05-2025

After Operation Sindoor which hit 9 terror hotbeds in Pakistan and PoJK on May 7 as a justice to those who were killed in Pahalgam terrorist attack, India hit Pakistan airbases with precision strikes on May 10 as a result to counter their shelling and attack across border areas.
'Pakistan targeted our schools, colleges, gurdwaras, temples and homes of civilians... our military installations... but this just led to the country being exposed. The world saw that Pakistan's drones and missiles got scattered like straws... India's air defence system destroyed them in the sky. Pakistan had prepared to attack India at its border, but India struck the heart of Pakistan. India's missiles and drones harmed airbases that Pakistan was very proud of,' PM Modi stated yesterday in his address to the nation. PAF Base Nur Khan, Rawalpindi
This crucial air base is near to Pak Army HQ and home to the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) Air Mobility Command, including the PAF College Chaklala, one of Pakistan's most important. It plays a central role in logistics, VIP transportation, strategic missions, and the training of aviators.
It has PAF transport aircraft like Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Ilyushin Il-78 refuellers, including trainers such as Karakoram-8. In 2012, PAF Base Chaklala was rechristened PAF Base Nur Khan to honour Air Marshal Nur Khan, who served as the base's first Pakistani commander in 1947 and later led the Pakistan Air Force from 1965 to 1969. Nur Khan airbase in Pakistan before and after attack
2. PAF Base Sukkur, Sukkur
This forward operational base of the PAF also functions as Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport Sukkur, serving as the second major civilian airport in Sindh after Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. It plays a vital role in providing air connectivity to northern Sindh. Sukkur airbase in Pakistan before and after attack
3. PAF Base Murid, Chakwal
Murid base serves as the primary hub for Pakistan's expanding fleet of combat drones and stands as one of the PAF's key forward operational flying bases today. It hosts over eight hangars that accommodate various unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including the locally developed GIDS Shahpar and NESCOM Burraq, the Chinese Chengdu Wing Loong II, and the Turkish Bayraktar TB2.
4. PAF Base Rahim Yar Khan, Rahim Yar Khan
Indian strike damaged the runway; the base has been closed for repairs. Rahim Yar Khan base, a forward operational base under the PAF's Central Command, shares its only runway with Sheikh Zayed International Airport. The airport is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the UAE, who financed the construction of its terminal.
Daily airport operations are managed by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). Following an Indian airstrike that created a large crater in the runway, all flight operations have been non-operational for one week. Rahim Yar Khan before and after attack
5. PAF Base Shahbaz, Jacobabad
It is an important NATO base during War on Terror, significant for Pak's F-16s. The Jacobabad base, extensively utilised by NATO forces during Operation Enduring Freedom, the official name for the US, led Global War on Terrorism, hosts some of the Pakistan Air Force's most advanced aircraft and equipment. These comprise the latest JF-17 Block II, multiple variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the Italian Leonardo AW139 helicopters of the 88 Search and Rescue Squadron. Jacobabad before and after attack
6. PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha
Regarded as the most crucial strategic asset of the Pakistan Air Force, the Sargodha base houses the country's top fighter aircraft and pilots. It also serves as the headquarters for the Central Air Command, the Combat Commanders' School, and the Airpower Centre of Excellence.
Aircraft like the American Chinese Chengdu J-7, French Mirage 5, and the JF-17 Thunder, F-16 Fighting Falcon, the mainstay of PAF's fighter fleet developed jointly with China, are placed at the base. During the 1965 war, the Sargodha base was a key target of Indian air strikes, resulting in the destruction of 10 Pakistani aircraft. In response, the Pakistan Air Force shifted its strategy, holding back a significant portion of its fighter fleet to defend Sargodha instead of deploying them to the front lines. Sargodha before and after attack
7. PAF Base Rafiqui, Shorkot
It is situated 337 km to the south of Islamabad. The base hosts squadrons of JF-17s, Mirage 5s, and the French Alouette III utility helicopters. It is named in honour of Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui, one of Pakistan's most highly decorated fighter pilots, renowned for his heroism during the 1965 war.
8. PAF Base Bholari, Jamshoro
Inaugurated in December 2017, this is Pakistan's newest and one of its most advanced main operational air bases. It houses squadrons of JF-17 Thunder and F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, along with Saab 2000 AEW&C aircraft equipped with the Erieye radar system. In 2020, the base hosted a major joint aerial exercise between Pakistan and China.
The radar sites and air defence units include Pasrur, Punjab, Sialkot district, Sialkot, Punjab, Chunian, Kasur district, Punjab, Lahore, Punjab and Malir Cantt, Karachi, Sindh.