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Expert Says There's No Doubt India Targeted Pakistan's Nuclear Site During Op Sindoor

Published On Wed, 18 Feb 2026
Ishani Kapoor
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A heated debate is resurfacing over India's daring Operation Sindoor from last year, with a prominent military expert insisting that Indian Air Force jets didn't just hit terror camps—they took out a key Pakistani nuclear storage facility at Kirana Hills. While official sources dismiss the claim as disinformation, the assertion has sparked fresh scrutiny on one of South Asia's most secretive military episodes.

The operation unfolded on May 7, 2025, as India's swift response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 innocents. Tri-service forces unleashed precision strikes on multiple terror hubs across Pakistan and PoK, wiping out over 100 militants while steering clear of civilian areas—a move hailed for its calculated restraint. Confirmed targets included the Mushaf airbase near Sargodha, close to the controversial Kirana Hills region long suspected of housing Pakistan's nuclear warheads.

Kirana Hills, a rugged site in Pakistan's Punjab province with underground bunkers and a history of nuclear tests, lies at the heart of the controversy. OSINT analysts pored over satellite images and viral videos showing massive smoke plumes, pointing to damaged entrances at what they call a warhead depot. Enter Tom Cooper, a respected aviation and military watcher, who declared the evidence "can't be clearer," likening it to "the sun rising in the east." He cites disabled radars, precise entrance hits, and even Pakistani insider whispers as proof of a deliberate strike.

India's IAF brass, including the Vice Chief, has shot down the claims repeatedly, stressing strikes targeted only terror infrastructure and military assets—no nuclear escalation. Pakistani narratives, meanwhile, have peddled debunked tales to stoke fears, a tactic fact-checkers flagged amid the 2025 border flare-up. This back-and-forth mirrors the fog of war, where truth often gets buried under propaganda.

Cooper frames the alleged hit as a masterful "warning shot"—India flexing its muscle to show it can neutralize Pakistan's nuclear edge without triggering doomsday. In a region where both sides pack nukes, such precision ops via drones and stand-off missiles redefine deterrence, letting New Delhi respond forcefully yet proportionally. Pakistan's failed riposte underscored India's air superiority, tilting the balance and pushing calls for cooler heads through diplomacy. As whispers persist without declassified proof, Operation Sindoor stands as a stark reminder: In India-Pakistan clashes, every strike carries global stakes. Will fresh intel ever confirm Cooper's bold take? For now, the skies over South Asia stay tense.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.