Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 12: Even as the United States is claimed to have intervened to defuse the heightened tension between India and Pakistan only due to apprehension that it could turn into nuclear holocaust, India has firmly rejected that it had hit Pakistan nuclear storage or had any intention to do so.
“We did not hit Kirana Hills,” said Air Marshal AK Bharti on Monday, dismissing all assumptions and speculation over the social media and global media over whether the Indian forces targeted Pakistan’s “nuclear storage” sites. He even claimed that India was not aware and did not look for where was Pakistan storing its nuclear arsenals.
Responding to a question on whether India hit Pakistan’s nuclear storage site during a press briefing on the “Operation Sindoor,” 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.”
Social media has been abuzz with chatter around how India may have hit Kirana Hills in Pakistan, which is close to the Sargodha Air Base and possibly “stores nuclear weapons.” Conspiracy theories have in fact linked a spate of recent earthquakes in Pakistan to “the nuke storage site having been hit.”
These conspiracies grew louder after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding and also after India confirmed having hit the Sargodha air base. Some social media accounts even floated conspiracy theories on how aircraft from US and Egypt were seen in Pakistan on flight radars, to test nuke leaks or contain them.
Air Marshal Bharti reiterated that India’s fight was against terror when the country launched Operation Sindoor and “not against Pakistan’s military or civilians.” He said India hit Pakistan’s Air Force bases after Pakistan attempted to attack Indian cities and military installments with Turkish drones, Chinese developed missiles and fighter aircraft.
“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.
The Indian military showed the debris of a likely PL-15 air-to-air missile, which is of Chinese origin and was used by Pakistan during the attack on India. The wreckage of the Turkish-origin Songar drones that were shot down by India was also shown at the press briefing.
Pakistan was so much rattled by the Indian attack deep inside the country that it even moved the Army Chief General Asim Munir to a fortified bunker within the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi following India’s high-precision strikes on the Nur Khan Airbase.
Sources said the relocation reflected not a tactical response but the psychological impact of India’s deep-penetration capability on Pakistan’s military leadership. Munir’s temporary sheltering underscores a heightened sense of insecurity within the Pakistani top brass, with reports now indicating that his operational base will be shifted to mitigate future vulnerabilities.
The Nur Khan Airbase—just 10 km from Islamabad and home to Pakistan’s Air Mobility Command—was among the key targets struck by India in response to a series of coordinated attacks by Pakistan on India’s military installations as well as civilian infrastructure. According to satellite imagery from Chinese firm MIZAZVISION and India’s Kawa Space, the base suffered severe structural damage, including destroyed fuel trucks, a compromised warehouse roof, and debris scattered near the runway.
The airbase houses critical assets such as Saab Erieye surveillance systems, IL-78 refuelling aircraft, and C-130 transporters. A C-130B/E was visibly damaged in the attack, significantly impacting Pakistan’s aerial logistics and VIP mobility.
Between 8 and 10 May, IAF fighter jets struck 11 military air bases across Pakistan in a coordinated, precision-led campaign. “Within 3 hours, 11 bases were attacked, including Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skaru, Bholari and Jacobabad,” DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said in a press briefing.
India’s ability to target such a vital military installation has reportedly shaken Pakistan’s defence establishment. Following the strike, Pakistan temporarily closed its airspace amid fears of further escalation. Pakistan urgently convened its Command and Control Authority following India’s strikes — a key step that eventually paved the way for the ceasefire.
Security analysts now speculate that Islamabad may relocate key command centres to minimise exposure, a move that reflects the depth of the strategic blow delivered by “Operation Sindoor.” India launched “precision strikes” under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes killed at least 10 family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar and four close aides.
