Pakistan has seemingly commenced restoration efforts at Bholari Airbase almost nine months after an aircraft hangar was hit in May 2025 during Operation Sindoor, as new imagery reveals partial removal of the structure’s damaged roof.
Geo-intelligence and OSINT analyst Damien Symon shared comparative before-and-after images of the site on X, stating that visible structural changes point to ongoing restoration activity at the airbase facility that was damaged during the May conflict between the two nuclear nations.
“Nearly nine months after an aircraft hangar was struck, during the May 2025 India-Pak conflict at Bholari Airbase, Pakistan, repair activity now appears to be underway with recent imagery showing the hangar roof partially removed.”
Bholari Airbase in Sindh province, located under 100 miles from the port city of Karachi, was among several key military installations targeted by India during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
The base, commissioned in December 2017, is considered one of Pakistan’s more modern operational air facilities. It is known to host the Pakistan Air Force’s 19 Squadron along with an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), both of which operate F-16A/B Block 15 ADF fighter aircraft.
The reported strike took place on the night of May 9–10, 2025, as part of India’s retaliatory action following attempted missile attacks by Pakistan on Indian military sites.
Imagery captured by commercial satellite providers and reviewed by geo-intelligence analysts indicated extensive structural damage to a large aircraft hangar at Bholari.
Visual analysis pointed to a wide breach in the roof of the structure, consistent with a high-impact strike.
IAF sources had stated that air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were used in the strikes.
At the time of the strike, multiple Western-origin fighter aircraft, along with a Saab 2000 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform, were present at the base. Other airbases that were hit during the operation include Nur Khan, Sargodha, Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan and Chunian.
Casualties linked to the strike were acknowledged by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who told the media that several air force personnel had been killed in the attack.
“Look at what is happening in Sindh. There are seven martyrs in Sindh. In the attack that took place in Bolari, six officers and technicians from the Air Force were martyred. The first martyr who happened in Sindh was Bakhtar Lagari, who was martyred in Ghatki,” Shah had said while interacting with the media.(Parwinder Sandhu)
