New Delhi: The Rahim Yar Khan airbase is now in ruins. India’s Operation Sindoor responded to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam with blistering accuracy and stripped Pakistan’s military infrastructure of its strength. The damage caused by India’s counterstrikes, however, is too deep — and too public — for Pakistan to downplay, with repair work still ongoing at the facility.
Rahim Yar Khan airbase One week runway closed in Pakistan’s Punjab province: The Indian Express. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) revealed that the runway would remain closed from 4 p.m. on Saturday and continue until May 18. The notice only gave vague reasons for “work in progress” without any details, a practice analysts believe is meant to hide India’s offence size. The shutdown also effectively confirmed damage to another major facility, Noor Khan Airbase, which was hit in the same series of attacks.
This runway at Rahim Yar Khan was destroyed in a precision strike, it said. To bolster its claim, the Indian Air Force has displayed video footage of the ruined site at a press briefing. The airbase, which also contains Sheikh Zayed International Airport, was one of six military sites in Pakistan struck by Indian fighter jets over four days of fighting. Targets also included airbases in Rafiqi, Murid, Chaklala, Sukkur, and Junia that were hit on Saturday as part of India’s response to Pakistan’s provocation. This included attempted air incursions against which the IAF effectively retaliated.
At Rahim Yar Khan, the magnitude of the destruction underlines Indian retaliation for Pakistan’s hostile behaviour. Indian’s military has sent a clear signal that it will counter any further provocations with superior firepower, while Pakistan reconstructs its devastated infrastructure. The quagmire of airbases is a testament to ‘Operation Sindoor’, with dust still hovering around the Pakistani land, the recipe for miscalculations set into work.