New Delhi: Dismissing the rumours circulating online and in international media, Air Marshal AK Bharti on Monday clarified that Indian forces did not strike Pakistan’s alleged nuclear storage site at Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor.
The clarification was made during a defence briefing where the Indian Armed Forces revealed fresh details about their recent counter-terror operation across the Line of Control (Loc).
Kirana Hills Not Targeted, Says IAF
Responding to mounting speculation that India may have hit a sensitive nuclear facility near Pakistan’s Sargodha airbase, Air Marshal Bharti said, “Thank you for telling us that Pakistan has stored its nuclear weapons at Kirana Hills, whatever is there. We did not hit Kirana Hills. It was not on the list of the targets we told you we hit.”
He further said, “We did not hit Kirana Hills,” shutting down social media chatter and conspiracy theories that linked the Indian strikes to recent seismic activity in Pakistan.
Have a look at the statement here:
Unverified claims had suggested that recent earthquakes in the region were linked to strikes on nuclear infrastructure. Some online accounts had even pointed to radar activity involving foreign aircraft from the US and Egypt, suggesting possible nuclear containment efforts. However, none of these claims have been substantiated.
India’s Operation Focused on Terror Infrastructure
Clarifying the objectives of Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal Bharti said India’s military response was strictly directed at terrorist networks and their operational hubs. “We reiterated that our fight was with terrorists and their support infrastructure and not with the Pakistan military. However, it is a pity that the Pakistan military chose to intervene and bat for the terrorists, which compelled us to respond in kind," he said.
According to Indian defence officials, Pakistan attempted to launch aerial strikes on Indian cities using Turkish drones, Chinese-origin fighter jets, and PL-15 air-to-air missiles. The Indian forces neutralised these threats using integrated defence systems. During the press briefing, wreckage of Turkish-origin Songar drones and parts of a Chinese PL-15 missile used in the attempted attack were displayed as evidence of the hostile escalation.
The operation, officials said, was carried out in a “measured and focused” manner, hitting nine terror-linked sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, without targeting civilian or military infrastructure directly.
