'We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there': IAF on whether India targeted Pak nuclear sites

The Indian forces dismissed the social media rumours, stemming from Pakistan, that a nuclear site was targeted. The Indian Air Force (IAF) said the airstrikes carried by the force did not target any Pakistani nuclear store.

Responding to these rumours at a press briefing on Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, categorically denied any such action, dismissing all assumptions and speculation circulating online.

When asked if Indian forces hit Kirana Hills, Air Mshl Bharti said, ‘Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installations. We did not know about it. We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there.”

#OperationSindoor | Delhi: When asked if India hit Kirana Hills, Air Marshal AK Bharti says, "Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation, we did not know about it. We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there." pic.twitter.com/wcBBVIhif1

— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2025

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What is Kirana Hills in Pakistan, the site India denies it struck during Operation Sindoor? Did India’s Operation Sindoor cause a nuclear leak in Pakistan? What’s behind the rumours?

Bharti was speaking at a joint press conference by the Indian armed forces in New Delhi on Monday (May 12). India launched a series of precision airstrikes deep inside Pakistani territory, targeting key military infrastructure in the wake of the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The operation, described as one of the most significant cross-border actions in recent years, saw the IAF strike multiple Pakistani airbases, including those at Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot.

Amid widespread speculation and social media chatter, questions arose about whether India had targeted the Kirana Hills, a site in Pakistan’s Sargodha district often linked to underground nuclear storage facilities.

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Satellite imagery confirmed significant damage to several Pakistani airbases, including destroyed hangars and craters on runways, particularly at Rahim Yar Khan and Mushaf airbase in Sargodha. While Mushaf airbase is reportedly linked to the Kirana Hills complex, Air Mshl Bharti made it clear that Kirana Hills itself was not among the designated targets.

The strikes, which followed Prime Minister Modi’s authorisation for the armed forces to determine the “timing, targets, and methods” of response, were interpreted as a calculated warning to Pakistan regarding India’s ability to neutralise critical military assets if the conflict escalated further.

The proximity of some targeted sites to Pakistan’s nuclear command infrastructure heightened international concern, prompting the United States to urge both countries to exercise restraint. India has categorically maintained since the beginning of Operation Sindoor that its responses have been “restrained and measured” in targeting sites across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan to ensure there is no collateral damage. India has asserted that it used precision weapons for the purpose.