Did India damage underground facility at Pakistan's Murid air base on May 10? Here's what satellite images show

India reportedly targeted the Murid Air Base in Pakistan during its airstrike under the codename Operation Sindoor on May 10. As per newly released satellite images by Maxar Technologies, India may have targeted a suspected underground facility at the Murid Air Base. 

The images show a nearly 3-metre-wide crater roughly 30 metres away from the fortified sub-complex entrance of the Air Base. Double fencing, watchtowers, and tight security protocols protected the area.

As per geo-intelligence researcher Damien Symon associated with the Intel Lab, the crater's proximity to the underground structure has triggered murmurs that India aimed to strike deep-buried assets, probably linked to Pakistan Air Force's command-and-control functions or drone operations. 

As per satellite images, precision-guided munitions and deep-penetration targeting were reportedly employed to breach the perimeter defences of the Air Base. If the damages to the Murid Air Base are confirmed, this would be the first time that India attempted to disable subterranean military infrastructure in Pakistan.

Damages were also seen on the command-and-control building roof near the hangar meant for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As per Symon, the roof of the hangar shows clear signs of internal damage and a direct strike. 

"This report spotlights damage at Pakistan’s Murid Airbase - the Indian Air Force strike has caused structural damage to a Command & Control building, a section of the roof has collapsed as well, likely causing internal damage," Symon said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). 

Murid air base is a key facility for maintaining the operational readiness of Pakistan's air assets in the region bordering India. It is home to a fleet of fighter jets and drones. Among Pakistan's high-end drones stationed at the air base are Shahpar 1, Shahpar 2, Burraq, Falco, Bayraktar TB2S, Bayraktar Akinci, CH-4, and Wing Loong 2. 

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Kashmir. After a deadly Pahalgam attack, India and Pakistan engaged in four-day strikes, agreeing to cease firing on May 12.