IAF dismisses claims of hitting kirana hills

India has firmly denied reports that it targeted Pakistan’s sensitive Kirana Hills nuclear site during its recent air strikes, effectively countering growing social media claims of a radioactive leak and a potential nuclear mishap.

Speaking at a press briefing on 12 May, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, said, “We have not hit Kirana Hills — whatever is there. I did not brief about it in my briefing on Operation Sindoor yesterday.” In a lighter moment during the same session, he added, “Thank you for telling us Kirana Hills houses nuclear installations. We did not know it.”

These remarks come as a direct response to widespread online speculation claiming that India had bombed the Kirana Hills region in Pakistan’s Sargodha district, home to alleged underground nuclear storage tunnels.

The rumours began after India conducted precision air strikes under Operation Sindoor, hitting multiple Pakistani airbases. Among them were Sargodha and Nur Khan—two critical sites in close proximity to nuclear-related infrastructure. Nur Khan airbase, situated in Rawalpindi, is adjacent to Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, which manages its nuclear arsenal. Sargodha, meanwhile, lies about 20 kilometres from Kirana Hills and houses Mushaf Airbase, a major operational centre for Pakistani F-16 and JF-17 fighters.

Although no official declaration has been made by Pakistani authorities or international agencies like the IAEA, some online users and OSINT analysts have pushed claims of radiation symptoms in civilians and even emergency evacuations. These claims remain unverified.