New high-resolution satellite imagery indicates that Pakistan has cleared out debris of a hangar at its airbase in Sukkur, struck by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor on May 10 this year.
The base, believed to house Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), was hit between 2 am and 5 am on May 10, just hours before Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire later that day, ending the hostilities.
The original post-strike satellite images from Maxar (now Vantor) showed the complete destruction of the UAV hangar along with signs of a significant vegetation fire around the structure.
The new imagery in this report shows the hangar site has now been levelled, though no new structure appears at the location yet. A second hangar adjacent to the damaged one appears untouched.
“The Sukkur hangar, struck by India in May 2025, sustained major structural damage. Imagery from the time, verified with NDTV, revealed major crumpling of the roof inward, among other damage on-site.
Newer imagery shows the site has finally been demolished, a process that began sometime in October 2025. The delay in cleanup likely stems from prolonged safety evaluations or possibly due to hazardous materials remaining under the rubble—clearing these would have been a prerequisite before demolition could begin,” said Damien Symon, a renowned geo-intelligence researcher and OSNIT expert at The Intel Lab.
Symon is known for analysing satellite imagery to debunk disinformation and verify military developments in conflict zones like the 2025 India-Pakistan clashes.
Another image, part of this report’s sequence, shows the command-and-control centre at Pakistan Air Force’s Nur Khan Base in Chaklala, which was also struck by the IAF on May 10 between 2 am and 5 am.
New structures are visible at the site, where two large tractor trailers, believed to be Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), were destroyed during the attacks.
The Nur Khan base, located just 10 km southeast of Islamabad, Pakistan’s seat of power, saw significant collateral damage. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif recalled at the time and said, “I got a call at 2:30 (Saturday, May 10) on a secure phone from army chief General Syed Asim Munir. Munir informed me that India just now launched ballistic missiles, and one of them fell at the Nur Khan Airport, and the other fell in some other areas.”
“India’s strike on Nur Khan during the May 2025 conflict targeted specialised military vehicles at the airport but also led to heavy collateral damage to adjacent infrastructure. The buildings around the impact site were leveled and have since been replaced by a fresh structure. Interestingly, while the new construction occupies the previous building’s foundation, its design diverges from the demolished structures. This newly built structure is about 20×25 meters and appears to be composed of two independent but adjoining sections,” Symon added.
Although India has never officially confirmed the use of ballistic missiles in the attacks, it is widely believed that the Indian Air Force deployed a range of air-to-surface missiles, including SCALP missiles from Rafale fighters, Rampage missiles from MiG-29 and Su-30 jets, and BrahMos missiles from Su-30 aircraft to strike multiple Pakistani airbases.
The escalation by India followed intensified Pakistani drone and missile activity from May 8 onwards. On the night of May 8 into the early hours of May 9, India detected increased pan-front drone activity at 36 locations.
Up to 400 Pakistani drones were detected as forces attempted to saturate Indian air defenses and target radars and surface-to-air missile systems. The attacks also included a limited number of CM-400 cruise missiles aimed at India’s S-400 surface-to-air missile site in Adampur, alongside heavy artillery exchanges along the Line of Control.
India responded during the night of May 8 and early hours of May 9 by “shaping the area of operations in case of further escalation,” targeting Pakistani air defense sites using armed drones. At least one such site was destroyed.
By the night of May 9, both sides had intensified attacks, with Pakistan launching standoff strikes on major IAF airbases such as Udhampur, Pathankot, and Bhuj, though no substantial damage occurred at these sites.
On the same night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a call from US Vice President JD Vance, who informed him that US intelligence had picked up indications of Pakistan planning a major military escalation.
In Parliament, PM Modi stated, “If Pakistan intends to carry out such an attack, it will have to pay a very heavy price. That’s exactly what I told the US Vice President.”
India’s massive escalation in the early hours of May 10 struck Sukkur and Nur Khan, as well as Rahwali, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Murid, Nayachor, Sargodha, Bholari, and Jacobabad. The IAF also engaged several aircraft, including an Airborne Early Warning or Electronic Intelligence platform of the PAF.
The active military engagement ended at 3:35 pm on May 10, when Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations, Major General Kashif Abdullah, called his counterpart, Lt. General Rajiv Ghai, to discuss a ceasefire, which took effect at 5 pm.
The mini-war lasted approximately 88 hours, beginning after India struck nine Pakistani terror camps, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters in Bahawalpur and Muridke on May 7. The IAF carried out its deepest strikes on Pakistan since the 1971 war before hostilities ended.
