More than a year after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan appears to be carrying out fresh repair work on a section of the runway at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Mushaf in Sargodha, according to satellite imagery accessed by NDTV.
High-resolution Vantor satellite imagery dated September 12, 2026, shows a dark patch at the intersection of the main runway and a taxi track. The section looks different from the surrounding asphalt, indicating possible excavation or resurfacing work.
A red vehicle can also be seen near the work area.
The location corresponds to one of the two points on Mushaf’s main runway that were struck by the Indian Air Force on May 10, 2025, during Operation Sindoor.
Earlier repaired section appears to be dug up again
The latest imagery indicates that a section repaired after the 2025 strike may have been opened and excavated again.
The work appears to extend below the surface towards the runway’s subgrade. This could indicate more extensive reconstruction rather than another surface-level repair.
However, satellite imagery alone cannot establish the exact reason for the new work.
Possible reasons could include problems with the earlier repair, pavement settlement, unevenness or damage below the surface.
The imagery also appears to show different stages of resurfacing. One section has a darker and smoother appearance, while another part appears to remain under repair.
An earlier satellite image from August 28, 2026, showed the location apparently repaired. The September 12 imagery suggests that work has started again at the same section.
Mushaf Runway was hit during Operation Sindoor
Mushaf airbase in Sargodha was among the Pakistani military facilities targeted during Operation Sindoor.
Satellite imagery from May 10, 2025, showed two separate impact points on the airbase’s approximately 3,200-metre primary runway.
Analysts estimated that one crater was around 8-9 metres wide and 4-5 metres deep. Debris from asphalt and concrete was visible around the impact area.
A second impact point was located around 660 metres away on the same runway.
Weapon used has not been officially confirmed
The Indian Air Force has not publicly identified the specific weapons used to strike the Mushaf runway.
Some analysts have assessed that the size and characteristics of the crater could be consistent with a BrahMos air-launched missile fired from a Sukhoi-30MKI.
However, this remains an analytical assessment and has not been officially confirmed by the Indian Air Force.
What does the latest satellite image show?
The latest imagery provides evidence of continued work at a location that had already undergone repairs after the May 2025 strikes.
The fresh excavation comes around 16 months after Operation Sindoor and suggests that reconstruction or resurfacing activity is continuing at the affected portion of the runway.
The exact reason for the renewed work cannot be established from satellite imagery alone.
What was Operation Sindoor?
The Indian Air Force struck several Pakistani military targets on May 10, 2025, as part of Operation Sindoor.
According to Indian military accounts, the operation targeted Pakistani military infrastructure, including airbases, radar installations and air-defence assets.
Mushaf, located in Sargodha, is around 172 km northwest of Lahore and roughly 200 km from the India-Pakistan border near Amritsar.
The latest satellite imagery provides a new view of repair activity at one of the runway locations damaged during the operation.
