Why were the Kirana Hills in Pakistan mentioned in India's tri-services briefing

The speculation around India having struck Pakistan’s Kirana Hills—a suspected nuclear storage site—during Operation Sindoor has triggered a surge of online chatter, but India’s military leadership has firmly dismissed the claims, albeit with a deliberate mix of humor and seriousness.

At Monday’s high-stakes tri-services briefing, the last question was pointed: Did India hit Kirana Hills, believed to house Pakistani nuclear assets? The response from Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, was carefully calibrated. He began with a wry smile and quip:

“Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installations. We did not know about it.”

This remark, delivered lightly, was also a strategic signal—one that hinted India is well aware of the site’s importance but is choosing not to escalate the rhetoric or confirm any direct provocation involving Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure. He then clarified definitively:

“We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there.”

What We Know and What It Means:

1. Social Media Buzz vs Official Denial:

In the aftermath of India’s retaliatory strikes for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, several accounts online claimed a strike on Kirana Hills. Satellite images, grainy videos, and maps circulated, fueling suspicion that India might be signaling a direct threat to Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent capabilities. However, official Indian statements deny any such action.

2. Kirana Hills — Why It Matters:

Located in Sargodha district in Punjab province, Kirana Hills is not just a set of barren hills but a fortified underground military zone believed to be integral to Pakistan’s nuclear command and control infrastructure. It is:

• Just 20 km from the Sargodha airbase (Mushaf),

• Around 75 km from the Khushab nuclear complex—which houses four heavy-water plutonium reactors,

• Protected by 10 fortified tunnels, built with RCC and reinforced iron rods by Pakistan’s Special Works Development unit.

3. Strikes Near Strategic Zones:

Although India denied targeting Kirana Hills, its strikes at nearby bases like:

• Nur Khan airbase (adjacent to Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division in Chaklala, Rawalpindi),

• Mushaf airbase in Sargodha (linked to the Kirana complex),
  were symbolically and militarily significant. According to experts and open-source intelligence, these strikes may have served as warning signals—demonstrating both reach and precision without actually crossing the nuclear threshold.

4. India's Messaging Strategy:

The denial of hitting Kirana Hills, combined with Air Marshal Bharti's sardonic remark, reflects strategic ambiguity. India is signaling:

• It has precise knowledge of Pakistan’s strategic assets,

• It possesses the capability to neutralize high-value targets if needed,

• But it will not escalate unnecessarily, in line with its doctrine of measured retaliation.

5. Pakistan's Nuclear Sensitivities:

The U.S. and global intelligence communities have long noted that Pakistan is acutely sensitive about its nuclear chain of command. A senior U.S. official was quoted recently in The New York Times as saying:

“Pakistan’s deepest fear is of its nuclear command authority being decapitated.”

This fear adds weight to India’s potential calculation: show strength without provoking irrational escalation.

In sum, while the official line is clear—India did not strike Kirana Hills—the unofficial signals suggest a calculated psychological operation aimed at deterring future terror acts and reshaping the strategic narrative. Operation Sindoor has already rewritten the rules of engagement. The denial may be the loudest signal yet that India wants to appear calm but in complete control.