Pakistan PM confirms Indian missile strike on Nur Khan airbase
What's the story
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed that India carried out a precision missile strike on the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi. The admission came during a 'Youm-e-Tashakur' event at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad, where he revealed that Army Chief General Asim Munir informed him about the attack at 2:30am on the intervening night of May 9-10. This is a rare acknowledgment from Pakistan, which usually denies such incidents.
Defense commendation
Sharif praises Pakistan Air Force's response
Sharif praised the Pakistan Air Force for its response, saying they used indigenous technology and modern gadgets on Chinese jets. On May 10, Pakistan had claimed that Indian missiles and drones targeted three of its air bases: Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Murid in Chakwal, and Rafiqui in Shorkot. The Pakistani military spokesperson confirmed these targets during a press conference.
Damage assessment
Satellite images reveal damage to Pakistani air bases
Recent satellite images from Maxar Technologies have confirmed extensive damage at several Pakistani air bases. The images show destruction at Nur Khan Air Base, PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, and PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad. These images were taken on April 25 and May 10 this year, showing facilities damaged by an alleged strike or attack.
Political response
Indian leaders react to Sharif's admission
Reacting to Sharif's admission, Indian political leaders took jabs at him. Bharatiya Janata Party IT head Amit Malviya highlighted the scale and precision of Operation Sindoor by quoting Sharif's statement about being woken up with news of strikes deep inside Pakistan. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticized Sharif for his lack of awareness regarding the situation. "To be as clueless as this man when terror airbases under his control are being destroyed by India. Deeply satisfying," she posted.
Twitter Post
Malviya's post on X
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif himself admits that General Asim Munir called him at 2:30am to inform him that India had bombed Nur Khan Air Base and several other locations. Let that sink in — the Prime Minister was woken up in the middle of the night with news of strikes deep inside… pic.twitter.com/b4QbsF7xJh
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 16, 2025