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Satellite images suggest India struck Kirana Hills in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor
Over two months after India denied hitting Kirana Hills in Pakistan, satellite images shared by a geo-intelligence expert hint at a strike at the facility.
Satellite images shared by a defence expert have hinted that Kirana Hills, a significant and sensitive nuclear-linked facility in Pakistan, was also struck during India's Operation Sindoor.
Geo-intelligence expert Damien Symon shared two images on X, both hinting at a big loss for Pakistan at India's hands.
The first image, the expert said, is of Kirala Hills, and has two labels - Munition impact scar and Sentry post. It also has a small screengrab attached on the top, showing the strike's impact on the site.
The second image is that of the Sargodha airbase from days after the Indian strikes. The geo-intelligence expert says it shows mid-section and intersection repair work on two sites on the runway where there were craters.
The Kirana Hills fall under the jurisdiction of Pakistan's Ministry of Defence, and is in close proximity to the Sargodha airbase. It stretches from the township of Rabwah to the city of Sargodha.
What India said on Kirana Hills
Back in May, just days after India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire, Indian Air Force's Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti was asked a question on reports claiming that Kirana Hills were hit by India.
However, not only did he deny striking the facility, it also said the forces did not know that is had a nuclear installation.
“Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation. We did not know about it. And we have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there," the Air Marshal had said.
His remarks had come amid widespread speculation that India had targeted the Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, allegedly connected to underground nuclear storage beneath the Kirana Hills.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, over two weeks after the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people lost their lives.
What began as India targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, soon escalated into a military conflict between the two countries, after Pakistan targeted air force bases in Udhampur, Pathankot, and Adampur districts in India.
A ceasefire was announced between the two countries on May 10.
