Satellite imagery, aircraft movements, and expert testimony raise concerns — but no official confirmation yet…
Kirana Hills, Pakistan — May 13, 2025
Circumstantial evidence is fueling growing speculation that a recent Indian airstrike may have impacted Pakistan’s nuclear storage facility at Kirana Hills, potentially causing a radiation leak. Though no formal confirmation has been issued by Pakistani officials or international watchdogs, developments on the ground and in the air are raising pointed questions.
Satellite Images Show Damage at Strategic Sites
From May 7–10, the Indian Air Force carried out airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, a counterterrorism mission targeting military sites and terrorist infrastructure in northern Pakistan. High-resolution satellite imagery from Nur Khan Air Base near Rawalpindi —one of Pakistan’s key military hubs — showed visible damage to facilities within the perimeter just hours after the strikes. Independent analysts say the visual evidence is consistent with reports of impacts near nuclear storage zones.
Senior Defense Analyst: Pakistan’s Nuclear Command Threatened
Derek Grossman — a former CIA officer and current senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, specializing in Indo-Pacific security — suggested in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the strikes put Pakistan’s nuclear command structure at risk. He added that it was hard to overstate how dangerous the situation had become prior to Saturday’s tenuous ceasefire.
No follow-up statements have been issued by the Indian Ministry of Defense or Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Reported Egyptian Military Flight Draws Scrutiny
Adding to the intrigue, an Egyptian Air Force aircraft (flight EGY1916) landed in Pakistan on May 11, just one day after the strikes. Flight data from Flightradar24, an authoritative online aviation database, shows the plane later departed from Bhurban Heliport in the Murree district — an unusual destination for a foreign military flight during heightened regional tensions.
Why does that matter? Egypt’s Nile Delta region contains some of the world’s highest concentrations of Boron-10 — a substance widely used to absorb neutron radiation during nuclear accidents. According to U.S. Borax and peer-reviewed journals like Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, boron plays a central role in nuclear mitigation efforts — most famously during the Chernobyl crisis in 1986, when it was dropped onto the exposed reactor core to suppress radiation emissions.
No Confirmed Health Crisis
As of Tuesday morning, neither the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nor Pakistani authorities have issued alerts or confirmed a nuclear emergency. Hospitals in the Rawalpindi and Islamabad regions have not reported spikes in radiation-related illness.
Social media continues to circulate rumors that a specialized U.S. aircraft deployed to test radiation levels in the region. Mathrubhumi, one of India’s largest daily newspapers, has reported on these claims, though again, no government has confirmed their validity:
Adding a layer of intrigue, the United States reportedly deployed a radiation monitoring aircraft over the region. While this suggests a degree of caution and monitoring, it does not necessarily indicate an active or confirmed radiation emergency. Reports circulating online alleging a rapid spread of radiation appear to be exaggerated at this time.
Kirana Hills, located in Pakistan’s Sargodha district, is a heavily fortified military zone of significant strategic importance. It is believed to house over ten underground tunnels, with widespread speculation suggesting these tunnels are used for the storage of Pakistan’s nuclear warheads. Its proximity to key military installations, including the Sargodha Air Base (approximately 20 km away) and the Khushab nuclear complex (around 75 km distant), underscores its sensitive nature.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has vehemently denied targeting Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor. Air Marshal AK Bharti explicitly stated , “We have not hit Kirana Hills — whatever is there.” India maintains that its strikes were solely focused on military targets and terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan.
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Adding a significant element of concern is the reported presence of a Beechcraft B350 AMS aircraft in Pakistani airspace. This aircraft belongs to the US Department of Energy and is part of the Aerial Measuring System (AMS), a highly specialized program designed for nuclear emergency response. Its primary function is to detect radiation leaks, map nuclear fallout, and provide support during radiological events. This is not a routine military or passenger aircraft.
Conclusion
The possibility of a nuclear incident, even a contained one, between India and Pakistan is serious enough to merit transparency. Until Islamabad or an international agency provides verifiable data, unsubstantiated reports will continue to fill the vacuum.
In a region where perception can escalate out of control, facts — and the willingness to share them — are the most stabilizing forces.
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