According to recently published high-resolution satellite pictures, india may have struck a suspected underground facility during its Operation Sindoor airstrike on Pakistan's Murid air base on May 10.
 
Only 30 meters from the entrance of a heavily defended sub-complex within the Murid air base is a nearly 3-meter-wide crater visible in satellite imagery taken by Maxar Technologies. Given the crater's closeness to what is thought to be an underground building, there has been conjecture that india intended to target deeply hidden equipment, maybe connected to drone or command-and-control activities.

Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher at the Intel Lab, told india Herald, "The strike targets a highly secure sub-complex within the air base that has multiple protection layers, including its own double fencing and watchtowers, making it most likely a high-value target." 

The hit seems to have penetrated this high-value zone's perimeter defenses, suggesting the deployment of deep-penetration targeting and precision-guided missiles.  If verified, this would be the first time india has attempted to take down Pakistan's underground military installations.
 
Damage to the roof of what looks to be a command-and-control facility next to a UAV complex and hangar is also evident elsewhere on the base.  The building appears undamaged in satellite photos provided to india Today on april 16 by Maxar Technologies.  The May 10 post-strike photo shows obvious structural damage.  

"Adjacent to the UAV complex and hangar at Murid, a likely command and control facility appears to have been struck, its roof shows signs of damage that suggest there might be impact internally within the building as well," Symon said.

Murid facility, which is 150 kilometers from the Line of Control, is essential to preserving Pakistan's air assets' combat readiness, including fighter jets and drones.  It provides support for the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi as well as the Sargodha air base.
 
However, it's possible that the Nur Khan air Base, which was also struck during Operation Sindoor, suffered greater damage than first thought.
 
The plant appears to be undamaged in satellite footage taken on april 25, over two weeks prior to the strikes.  In contrast, images taken on May 10 show that a pinpoint-accurate indian hit destroyed two trailer trucks that were thought to be command and control units.

The area surrounding the hit site has been cleared by Pakistani authorities, and some earth-moving vehicles are visible in this follow-up photo taken on May 17.
 
Notably, Nur Khan base is a vital supply and command hub for the pakistan air Force, housing C-130 Hercules, Saab 2000, and IL-78 refueling aircraft.  It is the leading location for VIP transportation and strategic airlifts.  
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G GOWTHAM

28/05/2025 11:18 AM