Did India hit Pak's nuclear installations in Sargodha's Kirana Hills?

New Delhi: As India’s military leadership continues to provide insights into Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, on Monday delivered a pointed response to a question about potential strikes on Kirana Hills, a site historically linked to Pakistan’s nuclear program.

His reply, laced with a hint of sarcasm, underscored the precision and restraint that defined the operation while firmly rebuffing speculative narratives.

When asked if India had targeted Kirana Hills as part of its broader military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Bharti quipped: “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.”

The remark, seemingly offhand, carried a deeper message about India’s strategic discipline. It established that while India’s military reach extends deep into enemy territory, its strikes remain tightly focused on dismantling terrorist infrastructure, not provoking a nuclear standoff.

The context

When India bombed 11 Pakistani airbases on May 10 in response to their aggression on the night of May 9, reports emerged that the strikes included Sargodha, a critical node in Pakistan’s military infrastructure.

Soon after, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressing concerns about potential damage to the nuclear bunker in Kirana Hills, located in the Sargodha district.

Within hours, the US administration, including President Donald Trump, moved quickly to prevent further escalation. By 3:30 AM, the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations established contact with his Indian counterpart, seeking to end the conflict.

Following the truce announcement, Trump posted on social media, claiming that “millions of lives would have been lost” if the situation had escalated further.

Why Kirana Hills is sensitive?

Kirana Hills, located in the Sargodha District of Pakistan’s Punjab province, is not just another military outpost. It has long been associated with Pakistan’s early nuclear weapons experiments, conducted between 1983 and 1995, and remains a key component of its nuclear infrastructure. The site is closely linked to the Mushaf Air Force Base, one of Pakistan’s primary air defense hubs.

Given its significance, any direct strike on this facility would carry profound strategic implications, potentially pushing the conflict toward a dangerous nuclear threshold.

Bharti’s statement also highlights a core aspect of India’s military strategy: strategic ambiguity. By neither confirming nor denying the exact scope of its strikes, India maintains a critical element of uncertainty, keeping adversaries guessing about the full extent of its capabilities.

This ambiguity is not just rhetorical but a calculated tactic to avoid cornering a nuclear-armed adversary, while still delivering a forceful message of deterrence.

In the case of Kirana Hills, it signals that India is prepared to act decisively against terrorism without necessarily pushing its adversary into a desperate response.

As the dust settles, Operation Sindoor stands as a powerful demonstration of India’s ability to defend its interests without crossing critical thresholds. The operation sets a precedent for future engagements, reaffirming India’s commitment to national security without compromising regional stability.

In the complex chessboard of South Asian geopolitics, this ability to strike without escalation remains a critical advantage.