New Satellite Image Shows Possible Repair Work At Pakistan's Bholari Airbase After India's Strike

Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 16:47 IST

The newly-released satellite image showed a damaged hangar at Pakistan's Bholari airbase, which was now covered in tarpaulin, suggesting possible repair work.

A new satellite image showed damage at Bholari airbase after India's strike. (Damien Symon/X)

A new satellite image has emerged showing that a hangar in Pakistan’s Bholari airbase, which was struck by India during Operation Sindoor last month, is now covered in tarpaulin, possibly suggesting repair activity or restoration work there.

The Bholari airbase, which is located near Karachi in Pakistan’s Sindh province, sustained damage consistent with a direct hit, as confirmed by Indian defence officials as well as satellite images released by Maxar Technologies in May.

Geo-intelligence expert Damien Symon shared high-resolution satellite images captured by The Intel Lab of the airbase. On May 12, satellite imagery showed a damaged hangar at Bholari airbase. The same hangar was covered in tarpaulin on June 1, suggesting repair work.

A former Pakistani Air Force Chief had earlier revealed that India had taken down an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft during the missile strike  carried out on Bholari airbase and others on the intervening night of May 9 and 10.

According to reports, the Bholari airbase is Pakistan’s newest, where it held a major aerial exercise called ‘Shaheen IX’ with China in 2020. It was inaugurated in December 2017 and is one of the country’s most modern main operational bases. The loss of the AWACS aircraft dealt a significant blow to Pakistan’s air defence.

On May 10, India targeted 11 military installations, including airbases in Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jacobabad. Satellite images before and after the strike on Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad and the Bholari airbase clearly show the scale of destruction.

Despite Pakistan’s claims that its airbases had suffered “minimum damage", satellite images have shown that extensive damage had been caused by the Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor, which came as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

The central government has said on the night of May 9 and 10, India’s counteroffensive became a historic milestone when, for the first time, a country successfully attacked the airbases of a nuclear-armed nation. Earlier, satellite images showed evidence of broader damage at Pakistan’s highly critical Nur Khan airbase.

Nur Khan houses critical assets like Saab Erieye airborne early warning systems, C-130 transporters and IL-78 refuelling aircraft. These are vital for surveillance, logistics, and aerial coordination, especially in cross-border operations. The base is central to Pakistan’s drone warfare campaigns.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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News world New Satellite Image Shows Possible Repair Work At Pakistan's Bholari Airbase After India's Strike