Kirana Hills: Pakistan’s secretive nuclear hub under scrutiny after India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’

Kirana Hills, located in Pakistan’s Punjab province near the city of Sargodha, has dominated headlines in the last few days due to India’s military operation, “Operation Sindoor.” India launched “Operation Sindoor” as a payback for Pahalgam terror attacks. During the course of Op Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted precision airstrikes targeting nine Pakistani airbases, including Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha and Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, as well as radar sites. The strikes, reportedly involving BrahMos missiles, caused significant damage to Pakistan’s military infrastructure, with claims that 20% of the Pakistan Air Force’s supporting infrastructure was destroyed.Kirana Hills has been linked to Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions since the 1980s, a period when the country was actively developing its nuclear capabilities in response to regional security dynamics, particularly India’s nuclear advancements. Between 1983 and 1990, Pakistan conducted a series of “cold tests” or subcritical nuclear tests at Kirana Hills. These tests, which simulate nuclear explosions without triggering a fission reaction, were critical for Pakistan to refine its nuclear warhead designs without the need for large underground test sites.The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in a 2023 report, identified Kirana Hills as a subcritical nuclear test site, noting its use in developing Pakistan’s nuclear program during this period.The site’s significance is further amplified by its association with Pakistan’s tactical nuclear weapons, such as the Nasr missile, designed for battlefield use.

The proximity of Mushaf airbase to Kirana Hills, coupled with unverified social media footage showing smoke billowing from the hills and satellite imagery indicating damage near Sargodha, sparked widespread speculation that India had targeted Kirana Hills, potentially damaging a nuclear storage facility. Rumors of a “nuclear leak” or “radioactive leakage” gained traction, fueled by unverified claims of a US B350 AMS nuclear safety aircraft flying over Pakistan to assess radioactive activity.Some social media posts even linked recent earthquakes in Pakistan to alleged nuclear incidents at Kirana Hills, though no seismic data supports these claims.

The Indian government and IAF have categorically denied targeting Kirana Hills. Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, said during a May 12 press briefing, “We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there,” adding sarcastically, “Thank you for telling us Kirana Hills houses nuclear installations. We did not know about it.” The ministry of external affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, also deflected questions about nuclear leakage, suggesting it was for Pakistan to address.These denials aimed to counter speculation and prevent escalation, emphasizing that India’s targets were terrorist infrastructure and military assets, not nuclear facilities.

Despite official denials, the strikes’ proximity to Kirana Hills and the destruction of nearby airbases were interpreted by some analysts as strategic messaging. By targeting sites close to Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure, India may have signaled its capability to strike sensitive locations while avoiding direct hits on nuclear facilities to prevent catastrophic escalation. War historian Tom Cooper, speaking on Times Now, suggested that the IAF’s ability to strike Pakistani bases freely while Pakistan’s air defenses faltered highlighted the failure of Pakistan’s deterrence strategy.