Pakistan's Bholari base struck by Indian armed forces

Satellite imagery taken in May 2026 confirms that Pakistan has not yet fully repaired the extensive damage inflicted on its airbases and military infrastructure during India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

The imagery reveals ongoing construction at key sites such as PAF Bholari and Nur Khan, where damaged hangars and runways remain under repair. This highlights the lingering impact on Pakistan’s air defence capabilities and underscores the scale of the precision strikes carried out by India.

Persistent damage is evident at major facilities including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Jacobabad’s Shahbaz Air Base, and Bholari.

The imagery shows that hangars remain damaged, fuel depots destroyed, and radar systems affected, with no full replacement or restoration achieved.

These findings suggest that despite visible repair efforts, Pakistan’s recovery has been slow and incomplete. The extent of the destruction caused by the strikes has resulted in a drawn-out restoration process, leaving critical infrastructure degraded for over a year.

The operational impact of this delay is significant. Defence experts note that the inability to swiftly restore aerial, command, and control infrastructure reflects a serious degradation of Pakistan’s military readiness.

The slow pace of recovery points to the precision and effectiveness of India’s strikes, which targeted not only terror camps but also eleven Pakistani military installations, including airfields. The strikes were conducted in response to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025, which claimed 26 innocent lives, and were designed to dismantle both terrorist sanctuaries and the military infrastructure that supported them.

Operation Sindoor eliminated nine terror camps and struck eleven military sites, including airbases that formed the backbone of Pakistan’s aerial defence network. The destruction of fuel depots and radar systems has had lasting consequences, reducing operational efficiency and limiting Pakistan’s ability to project air power.

The fact that repairs remain incomplete a year later demonstrates the calculated force and strategic clarity behind India’s operation, which sought not only immediate retaliation but also long-term degradation of hostile capabilities.

Reports from early 2026 had already indicated that more than seven months after the operation, Pakistan was still engaged in repair work at its airbases. By March 2026, sources confirmed that key command facilities remained under repair, with the Pakistan Air Force struggling to restore full operational capacity.

The latest satellite imagery corroborates these assessments, showing that the damage persists and recovery remains slow. This situation has forced Pakistan to divert resources towards reconstruction rather than modernisation, further delaying its military preparedness.

The broader implications of this continued damage are clear. India’s strikes have not only dismantled terror infrastructure but also imposed a sustained cost on Pakistan’s military, limiting its ability to recover quickly.

The slow restoration of airbases and command facilities reflects a strategic victory for India, ensuring that the consequences of the Pahalgam attack are felt long after the operation itself. Operation Sindoor thus stands as a demonstration of India’s resolve, its ability to conduct precision strikes with lasting impact, and its determination to push back against terrorism and its state sponsors.

Agencies