Defence
Op Sindoor Impact: Sole Runway At Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan Airbase Still Shut Over Three Months After Indian Missile Strikes
A deep crater marks the runway at Rahim Yar Khan Airbase.
In a development underscoring the lasting impact of India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has again extended the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the Rahim Yar Khan Airbase, pushing the closure of the sole runway on Pakistan's critical military and civilian facility, to 22 August.
The airbase, which doubles as Sheikh Zayed International Airport in Punjab province, was struck by Indian missiles on 9 May, as part of Operation Sindoor, which was launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the latest notice to airmen, or NOTAM, issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, the runway will continue to remain closed for flight operations at least till 22 August.
The prolonged shutdown highlights the severity of the damage caused by Indian armed forces and casts doubt on Pakistan’s capacity to rapidly restore critical air infrastructure.
Situated 230 km south of Bahawalpur and close to India’s Rajasthan border, Rahim Yar Khan was among the prime targets of Operation Sindoor.
Using air-launched precision weapons, including the BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missile, the IAF struck multiple Pakistani military sites, with Rahim Yar Khan airbase suffering particularly heavy damage.
Satellite images released by the Indian armed forces in the days after the airstrikes show a large and deep crater in the middle of the Rahim Yar Khan airbase runway.
Satellite imagery also showed extensive damage to a building at the airbase.
