Operation Sindoor: Satellite Images Suggest India Targeted Underground Military Facility at Pakistan’s Murid Air Base

New Delhi: Newly released high-resolution satellite images suggest that India may have targeted a suspected underground military installation during its precision airstrikes on Pakistan’s Murid Air Base as part of Operation Sindoor.

Captured by Maxar Technologies, the satellite visuals show a crater nearly 3 metres wide located just 30 metres from the entrance of a fortified sub-complex within the Murid facility. This high-security zone, protected by double fencing and watchtowers, is believed to house critical command-and-control infrastructure or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations.

Geo-intelligence analyst Damien Symon of Intel Lab, who reviewed the images, stated: “The crater’s proximity to what appears to be an underground entrance suggests that India might have been attempting to strike deeply buried assets — a significant escalation in target selection.”

According to Symon, damage is also visible to the rooftop of a nearby command-and-control structure adjacent to UAV hangars, indicating the likely use of precision-guided munitions designed for deep penetration.

“This strike appears to have broken the perimeter defences of a high-value target zone, which could represent India’s first known attempt to disable subterranean infrastructure in Pakistan,” Symon added.

While Pakistan has not officially confirmed the extent of the damage, initial satellite assessments had underestimated the impact. However, updated imagery from Nur Khan Air Base — another site struck during Operation Sindoor — shows a wider damage footprint than originally believed, including a demolished building complex close to what experts assess to have been a primary Indian target.