Operation Sindoor: Pakistan Still Repairing Sargodha Airbase Runway 16 Months After Strike

New Delhi: The repair of damage caused to the runway of Mushaf Air Base in Sargodha, Pakistan during Operation Sindoor is still going on. High-resolution satellite images dated 12 September show excavation and resurfacing work at the junction of the runway and taxi track. According to report, the part that was repaired after the Indian Air Force attack in May 2025 has now been reopened. This indicates that the area required rework after the initial repairs.

What is visible now in satellite images?

The Vantor satellite image of September 12 shows a dark irregular patch on a portion of the runway. It appears different from the surrounding normal asphalt surface. According to reports, the picture indicates fresh excavation or resurfacing at this site.

The site where the work is going on is near the meeting point of the runway and taxi track. According to the report, the patchwork done earlier here has been removed and excavation has been done till the subgrade surface below. After this, preparations for fresh construction are going on.

How much damage was done to the runway in May 2025?

During Operation Sindoor, on May 10, 2025, marks of attack at two places on the runway of Mushaf Air Base were visible in satellite images. According to report at the time, there was damage at two different locations on the main runway, approximately 3,200 meters long.

The size of the pit formed at one place was said to be about 8 to 9 meters wide and 4 to 5 meters deep. The second affected spot was about 660 meters away from it. Photographs at that time showed large potholes on the runway and debris scattered around.

Why was the old patch dug up again?

The portion that has been re-excavated in the new photographs had earlier been repaired. The report quoted experts as saying that after the initial repairs, there could be unevenness in the surface, subsidence or problems related to the structure below. For this reason, instead of patching the affected area from above, it is being rebuilt by opening it from below.

Other parts of the runway also show signs of work being done in a phased manner. In some places the surface appears new and relatively smooth, while in others the work does not appear to have been completed.

Why is Mushaf Airbase of Sargodha important?

Mushaf Air Base is one of the major bases of Pakistan Air Force. It is located in Sargodha and is about 172 kilometers north-west of Lahore and about 200 kilometers west of the India-Pakistan border. During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, India targeted several military bases of Pakistan. Mushaf Air Base was also included in these.

Did the repair work take long only in Sargodha?

Satellite images have also revealed repair and reconstruction activities at some other Pakistani military bases damaged during Operation Sindoor in the months that followed. For example, in March 2026 news channels reported that repairs to the damaged command and control center at Murid Air Base near Chakwal were not successful and later appeared to be in the process of removing that structure.

New pictures of Sargodha are also in discussion for this reason. However, the ultimate reason for the repair delay cannot be determined based on satellite images alone. At present it is clear that even after 16 months of the attack, construction work is going on in the affected runway part of Mushaf Air Base.