Op Sindoor: IAF Strike Proved So Devastating Pakistan Forced to Raze Murid Base

In a stunning revelation that shows the success of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Operation Sindoor, new satellite imagery obtained by NDTV confirms that Pakistan has been forced to completely demolish a critical command and control center at its premier Murid Airbase. The drastic measure, captured nearly ten months after the original strike, indicates that the damage inflicted by the IAF was far more catastrophic and permanent than previously assessed, effectively rendering the structure beyond repair .

A high-resolution image from Vantor, dated February 28, 2026, exposes the failure of Pakistan's repair efforts at the facility in Chakwal district. The central area of the building, initially struck and hastily covered, now reveals a chaotic spread of pinkish-red rubble and exposed earth. This scene is consistent with a complete demolition or structural collapse, not a successful rebuild. The imagery provides the first clear evidence that the long-term impact of the May 2025 strike remains devastatingly evident.

"Recent imagery now confirms the structure has been completely demolished," NDTV quoted Damien Symon, a distinguished satellite imagery analyst, as saying. "This development indicates the effects of the strike likely extended far beyond the roof and into deeper portions of the building's internal structure. The decision to dismantle the facility strongly suggests the airstrike triggered significant structural failure within the building-measuring approximately 35x30 metres-ultimately rendering the site unsafe and unfit for repair."

Targeting Pakistan's Drone Warfare Hub

Murid was one of ten Pakistani airbases struck by the IAF in the early hours of May 10, 2025, a massive pre-dawn operation that culminated hours before Pakistan urgently sought a ceasefire. The facility is believed to have served as a vital command-and-control node for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operating from the base. Critically, the IAF also successfully targeted what is believed to be an underground facility at the same location. An earlier NDTV report had pinpointed a 3-metre-wide munition impact crater a mere 30 metres from one of the two entrances to this hardened underground complex.

Other key infrastructure losses include:

Nur Khan Airbase (Chaklala): Satellite imagery confirmed the destruction of a large complex housing two next-generation mobile command and control centres (NG-MMCCs), jointly developed with Türkiye and equipped with AI-based tools. Hangars housing Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 drones were also hit, with Pakistan losing an estimated 50 TB-2s valued at $300 million.

Bholari Airbase: A cruise missile strike destroyed a Swedish-origin Saab 2000 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, a loss valued at around $300 million.

Jacobabad Airbase: A hardened aircraft shelter was struck, damaging three Jordanian-sourced F-16s, with an estimated loss of $54 million.

Rahim Yar Khan: The airbase's runway was severely cratered, grounding all PAF aircraft and crippling its operational capability.

Air Defence Network: India's Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) operation was highly effective, destroying multiple high-value radar systems, including a Chinese YLC-8E anti-stealth radar at Chunian ($15-20 million) and a Chinese HQ-9 system ($100-200 million) in Karachi .