- Pakistan Air Force began early repairs on a hangar at Bholari airbase damaged last May
- The hangar was hit during an Indian Air Force strike amid an 88-hour conflict between India and Pakistan
- The IAF believes a PAF Airborne Early Warning aircraft was destroyed in the Bholari attack
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) appears to be in the early phases of reconstructing or repairing the extensive damage to a hangar at its Bholari airbase, which was destroyed in an Indian Air Force (IAF) strike on May 10, 2025, hours before Pakistan came to the ceasefire table that eventually brought an end to the 88-hour war between the two subcontinental neighbours.
The IAF believes that a PAF Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, possibly a SAAB 2000 'Erieye', was destroyed here in the IAF attack.
The image produced in this report, shot by Vantor on January 28, shows parts of the damaged green roof of the hangar having been peeled off. While core damage is still clearly visible, there appear to be signs of partial dismantling of the damaged roof. This suggests preparatory or early-stage reconstruction work and is consistent with Pakistani repair activities at other bases, which were also hit by the IAF. A full repair would likely involve new roofing, structural reinforcement, and cleanup of all debris. The new image indicates that there has been some progress beyond the structure being abandoned.
Pre-attack and post-attack images of the hangar at Bholari airbase struck by the IAF on May 10, 2025
Earlier reports by NDTV have shown repair work was underway at Murid, where red tarpaulin was found covering the roof of a building struck by the IAF; at Sukkur, where a UAV hangar was destroyed; and at the Nur Khan airbase, where a command-and-control centre was taken out.
Exclusive: Pakistan Constructs New Buildings, Removes Destroyed Hangar At Bases Struck By Air Force
The hangar at Bholari was struck between 10 am and 12 pm on May 10, 2025, at a time when the IAF had sharply escalated its attacks on Pakistan's bases in response to large-scale drone incursions and PAF attempts to target Indian military bases over the preceding two days.
The IAF has not identified the weapon which was used in the attack on Bholari though the IAF is believed to have used a host of air-to-surface munitions during Operation Sindoor. These may include French SCALP missiles on Rafale fighters, Israeli Rampage missiles on Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters, Israeli Crystal Maze missiles on Mirage 2000s and BrahMos air-to-surface missiles on Sukhois during its attacks on Pakistani airbases and terrorist infrastructure during Operation Sindoor.
The roof of PAF hangar struck by IAF on May 10, 2025 has been peeled off, indicating repair work has commenced
At 3:35 pm on May 10, within hours of the attack on Bholari, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Kashif Abdullah spoke to India's DGMO, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, on a hotline to discuss an immediate ceasefire, which was meant to take effect from 5 pm the same day. It eventually took nearly 48 hours after this conversation for relative peace to be restored across the Line of Control and the International Border.
India's military strikes on Pakistani airbases came after warnings from the United States on May 9 that Islamabad was on the verge of stepping up its attacks on India. In a subsequent statement in parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the US Vice President JD Vance had repeatedly been trying to reach him that day, and when he finally returned the call, Vance told him that the US had intelligence to suggest that Pakistan was planning a major attack. "If Pakistan intends to carry out such an attack, it will have to pay a very heavy price," PM Modi had said. "That's exactly what I told the US Vice President."
Read: Giant Red Tarpaulin Covers Building Which Air Force Struck In Murid During Op Sindoor
Though never stated, it is possible that India's decision to hit major Pakistani military targets on the night of May 9-10 may have been a preemptive response to the conversation between the US Vice President and Prime Minister Modi.
In the attacks that began on the night of May 9, the Indian Air Force struck at least 10 Pakistani bases and facilities. Between 2 am and 5 am on May 10, the IAF hit Pak bases in Chaklala, Rahawali, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Murid, and Nayachor. Between 10 am and 12 pm, Sargodha, Bholari, and Jacobabad were attacked with missiles. Simultaneously, the IAF surface-to-air missile batteries engaged PAF aircraft. The IAF believes it shot down either an electronic intelligence aircraft or an airborne early warning aircraft at that time.
The Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, in a statement, confirmed that six PAF personnel - including an officer - had been killed in the attack on Bholari.
