Nuclear leak whispers around Pakistan's Kirana Hills grow louder — But IAF dismisses claims

Economic Times

13-05-2025

India has firmly denied reports that it targeted Pakistan's sensitive Kirana Hills nuclear site during its recent air strikes, effectively countering growing social media claims of a radioactive leak and a potential nuclear mishap.
Speaking at a press briefing on 12 May, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, said, 'We have not hit Kirana Hills -- whatever is there. I did not brief about it in my briefing on Operation Sindoor yesterday.' In a lighter moment during the same session, he added, 'Thank you for telling us Kirana Hills houses nuclear installations. We did not know it.'
These remarks come as a direct response to widespread online speculation claiming that India had bombed the Kirana Hills region in Pakistan's Sargodha district, home to alleged underground nuclear storage tunnels.The rumours began after India conducted precision air strikes under Operation Sindoor, hitting multiple Pakistani airbases. Among them were Sargodha and Nur Khan—two critical sites in close proximity to nuclear-related infrastructure. Nur Khan airbase, situated in Rawalpindi, is adjacent to Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division, which manages its nuclear arsenal. Sargodha, meanwhile, lies about 20 kilometres from Kirana Hills and houses Mushaf Airbase, a major operational centre for Pakistani F-16 and JF-17 fighters.
Although no official declaration has been made by Pakistani authorities or international agencies like the IAEA, some online users and OSINT analysts have pushed claims of radiation symptoms in civilians and even emergency evacuations. These claims remain unverified.
Fuel was added to the fire when flight trackers such as Flightradar24 allegedly spotted a US Beechcraft B350 Aerial Measuring System (AMS) aircraft over Pakistani airspace. The aircraft, with tail number N111SZ, is part of a US Department of Energy fleet designed for detecting radioactive contamination in emergency scenarios.The B350 AMS has previously been used after incidents such as the Fukushima disaster and is equipped with gamma-ray sensors and real-time mapping tools. Its reported presence raised questions: was it deployed by the US in coordination with Pakistan, or was it a Pakistani-owned variant, repurposed for a nuclear response?Some OSINT accounts suggest this tail number was transferred to Pakistan's Army Aviation in 2010. If accurate, it remains unclear whether Pakistan used this asset to check for radiation leakage or sought external assistance to gauge the aftermath of India's strikes.Former CIA officer and current RAND Corporation analyst Derek Grossman claimed India's strike on the Nur Khan airbase 'threatened Pakistan's nuclear command' and caused 'a radioactivity leakage.' His remarks, however, were not officially acknowledged by either India or the United States.
A report by The New York Times quoted a former US official as saying, 'Pakistan's deepest fear is of its nuclear command authority being decapitated. The missile strike on Nur Khan could have been interpreted… as a warning that India could do just that.' Meanwhile, CNN reported that US Vice President JD Vance allegedly contacted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving 'alarming intelligence.' Neither Washington nor Islamabad has issued a formal confirmation of these claims.Adding to the intrigue, an Egyptian military transport aircraft was reportedly spotted landing and departing from Murree shortly after the Indian airstrikes. Some social media posts claimed the aircraft carried boron, a substance used to suppress radioactive emissions, though these reports remain unverified.While denying any strike on nuclear facilities, Indian officials have openly acknowledged targeting high-value military and radar installations across Pakistan, including in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Karachi, Sialkot, Lahore, and Shorkot.
Air Marshal Bharti described the strikes on Nur Khan and Sargodha as 'strategic messaging.' A senior officer added, 'More than the actual damage, the hits constituted strategic messaging.' Satellite imagery suggests that Mushaf Airbase at Sargodha, just 20km from Kirana Hills, suffered damage during the strikes. However, Air Marshal Bharti insisted that Kirana Hills itself was never a target.ET has not been able independently verify any of these claims.Kirana Hills is considered one of Pakistan's most fortified military zones, widely believed to host over ten underground nuclear tunnels. It sits about 75 kilometres from the Khushab nuclear complex, home to four heavy water reactors used to produce weapons-grade plutonium.The site has long been viewed by analysts as central to Pakistan's second-strike capability. Its location, along with adjacent airbases, makes it a high-stakes target in any cross-border military calculus.The B350 AMS aircraft, operated by the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, is designed to respond to nuclear emergencies by detecting radioactive contamination in air and ground. It can perform low-altitude flights and identify specific isotopes, making it an essential tool in assessing nuclear fallout.This aircraft has been deployed for nuclear safety missions worldwide and is equipped with advanced data-gathering tools. Its presence over Pakistan—even if unclear whether American or Pakistani-operated—adds a serious tone to the unconfirmed radiation reports.For now, a ceasefire holds between India and Pakistan. But questions linger.Was there really a radiation leak at or near Kirana Hills? Why did a highly specialised nuclear emergency aircraft appear in the area? Was its presence part of a regular monitoring mission, or something more?With no official confirmation from either side, and India standing firm on its account, the truth remains tangled between real military action and speculative narratives. The world, especially neighbouring powers, will be watching closely for any signs that might hint at what really transpired over Pakistan's nuclear heartland.