‘Didn't know what is there, didn’t hit’: Air Marshal denies rumours of action at Pakistan's Kirana Hills

Air Marshal AK Bharti on May 12 categorically denied reports that the Indian Air Force struck the Kirana Hills in Pakistan’s Punjab province — an area long speculated to house elements of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal.

Speaking at a joint briefing by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Bharti stated, “The Indian Air Force is neither aware of what is there nor did it target it.”

When asked if India hit Kirana Hills, Air Marshal AK Bharti said, “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. I didn't mention it in my briefing yesterday or today.”

The clarification comes amid intense speculation following India’s recent precision airstrikes deep within Pakistani territory. While Pakistani authorities downplayed the strikes, claiming they hit only “empty hillside,” satellite imagery and defense assessments indicate the strikes may have been more significant than publicly acknowledged.

Military analysts have for years pointed to the Kirana Hills as a possible underground nuclear weapons storage site. Satellite images reveal reinforced tunnels and multiple concealed entrances, suggesting the area holds considerable strategic importance. Experts believe that recent Indian airstrikes may have employed bunker-busting munitions — ordnance specifically designed to breach hardened underground facilities — suggesting a calculated effort to degrade high-value infrastructure.

Despite public concerns about the risk of a nuclear detonation, defense experts clarify that nuclear weapons are constructed with failsafe mechanisms. “A conventional strike cannot trigger a nuclear explosion,” one analyst noted, referencing historical incidents where nuclear-armed states, including the US and Soviet Union, lost weapons without triggering catastrophic outcomes. Potential radiation exposure, they add, would likely remain confined within the fortified underground complex.

The escalation became apparent when Indian operations began targeting not only militant infrastructure but also strategic Pakistani airbases. In a span of minutes, 11 Pakistani installations were reportedly damaged, including the Nur Khan base near Islamabad — a facility within close proximity to Pakistan’s nuclear command and control centers.

Nur Khan’s location is what reportedly prompted concern in Washington. A perceived decapitation strike on Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure, analysts warn, would represent a fundamental shift in South Asia’s strategic equilibrium, marking a level of escalation with far-reaching consequences.