Pakistan Admits! Nur Khan Airbase Was Hit By India In Op Sindoor, Says Deputy PM Ishaq Dar

New Delhi: In a major admission and after much hesitation, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has finally acknowledged that the country's Nur Khan airbase was hit by India during Operation Sindoor. This is a rare admission that goes against Pakistan's usual stance of staying tight-lipped, or blatantly denying, when it comes to Indian military action.

Speaking at a press conference, Dar, who is also Pakistan's foreign minister, stated that the Nur Khan airbase came under attack and it suffered significant damage.

Dar claimed that India had conducted 80 drone strikes against Pakistan during the operation. He boasted that 79 of them were unsuccesful but one of them hit the Nur Khan airbase. The Deputy PM however, shied away from the fact that Nur Khan was only one of the nine airbases that was struck by India.

How India Neutralised Terrorist Bases

The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Baisaran valley on April 22, 2025.

During a press conference addressed by Indian Armed Forces chiefs and the Director General of Military Operations back in May 2025, India demonstrated before the world, citing pictures as well as footages, to show how India destroyed nine major terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). The Indian military targeted facilities run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen in those strikes in which over 100 terrorists were killed, including some most wanted targets like Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudassir Ahmad. 

Out of these nine locations, four were located in Pakistan (including Bahawalpur and Muridke) and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (such as Muzaffarabad and Kotli).

The Nights Of Drone Attacks

Pakistan conducted a string of drone and missile attacks on Indian cities on the nights of May 7, 8, and 9, 2025, in retaliation to these attacks. India's air defence systems successfully neutralised all incoming drone and missile attacks.

India launched SEAD, or Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses operations using kamikaze drones to neutralise Pakistan's air defense capabilities. These operations were quite successful as Lahore's air defense system was completely disabled. Pakistan's HQ-9 air defence system looked weak.

Air Bases Targeted

India successfully attacked the air bases of Pakistan on the night of May 9 and 10, 2025. Within three hours, India targeted 11 military installations including Nur (Noor) Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jaco-babad. The satellite images from multiple sources, before and after the strikes, demonstrated the scale of the destruction. India also targeted major ammunition depots and airbases such as Sargodha and Bholari, where reports indicate, F-16 and JF-17 fighter jets were stationed, delivering a major blow to Pakistan's air force infrastructure.

As per reports, over 50 individuals were killed in the air strikes, including Squadron Leader Usman Yusuf, during the bombing of Bholari Airbase. Many Pakistani fighter jets were also destroyed in the strikes.

Shehbaz Sharif Admitted In May

Dar's admission is not the first time that a top Pakistani official has acknowledged India's strikes on Nur Khan Air Base. 

Earlier In May 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that India's ballistic missiles hit Nur Khan Airbase and other sites on May 10.

While addressing a ceremony held at the Pakistan Monument on May 16, Sharif said, "At around 2:30 am on May 10, General Syed Asim Munir called me on a secure line and informed me that India's ballistic missiles had hit Nur Khan Airbase and other areas. Our Air Force used homegrown technology to save our country, and they even used modern gadgets and technology on Chinese jets," Geo News reported.

Why Nur Khan Attack Is Significant

The Nur Khan Airbase, located in Chaklala, a suburb of Rawalpindi in Pakistan’s Punjab was built during the colonial times and was actively used during World War II. Post Independence this airbase became Pakistan’s main transport and logistics hub. Reports indicate that this base also played a key role in supporting US operations in Afghanistan. 

According to some strategic experts, the Nur Khan attack may have marked the turning point in the escalation between India and Pakistan. After this attack, the DGMO received phone calls from the Pakistani side about talks on ceasefire. The two sides agreed to a ceasefire by evening of May 10. 

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