IAF responds to claims over Indias strike on Pakistan’s nuclear facility at Kirana Hills
Military analysts have long cited Kirana Hills as one of Pakistan’s most secretive nuclear storage locations
PTC Web Desk: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, social media has exploded with speculation over possible Indian airstrikes on Pakistan’s sensitive military zones—specifically the Kirana Hills, long suspected of housing nuclear infrastructure. However, top Indian military officials have firmly denied any such action.
During Monday's tri-services media briefing, a senior military official was asked about alleged strikes on the Kirana Hills in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The question referred to a growing wave of online claims suggesting the Indian Air Force (IAF) had hit the region as part of Operation Sindoor—a retaliatory mission following the April 22 attack in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, responded with a touch of humour: "Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installations. We did not know about it," he quipped.
Following the light-hearted remark came a clear denial: "We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there. I did not brief in my briefing yesterday," Bharti added.
Social media platforms have been flooded with videos, satellite imagery, and unverified claims indicating explosions near the Kirana Hills, located close to the Sargodha Air Base in Punjab. The hills are believed to be under the control of Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence and house reinforced underground bunkers used for nuclear warhead storage.
The strategic importance of the Kirana Hills stems from its proximity—just 20 km away from Sargodha Air Base and about 75 km from the Khushab Nuclear Complex, which contains four heavy water reactors capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.
In response to the Pahalgam massacre, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror launch pads across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Unlike Pakistan, whose retaliation reportedly included strikes on Indian military and civilian areas, India emphasised that its counter-offensive carefully avoided civilian zones.
The IAF targeted 11 key military installations, including airbases in Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot. The Nur Khan Airbase, located in Chaklala near Rawalpindi—Pakistan’s military nerve centre—was among the most significant targets.
This base is home to Pakistan’s strategic airlift fleet and is situated close to the Strategic Plans Division, the authority managing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. According to a former US official quoted by The New York Times, the strike could be interpreted as a signal from India of its reach and capability to neutralise critical nodes of Pakistan’s nuclear command in the event of escalation.
Satellite images also reportedly showed damage to the runway at Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, believed to be connected to nuclear storage in the nearby Kirana Hills.
Kirana Hills: A strategic nuclear site
Military analysts have long cited Kirana Hills as one of Pakistan’s most secretive nuclear storage locations. The 68 square km facility is surrounded by a 39-km security perimeter and includes at least 10 reinforced tunnels constructed by Pakistan’s Special Works Development (SWD) unit.
Despite the heavy fortification, experts warn that modern air forces—including India’s—now possess deep-penetration munitions capable of breaching such bunkers, making the secrecy of such locations even more crucial to Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent.