New satellite imagery suggests that India may have struck Pakistan’s highly sensitive Kirana Hills region during its military offensive in May 2025, contradicting earlier official denials from New Delhi. The Kirana Hills in Pakistan’s Sargodha district are believed to be a critical site for the country’s nuclear weapons program, housing underground storage facilities and military-grade radar systems.
Imagery captured in June and analyzed by satellite expert Damien Symon shows signs of impact at the edge of the Kirana Hills, raising fresh questions about India’s true targets during Operation Sindoor. Launched on the night of May 9–10, the operation was a retaliatory strike by India following the killing of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam by Pakistan-linked terrorist groups.
Symon shared his analysis on social media, noting visible strike marks on one side of the hill. However, he clarified that the area hit did not appear to be part of Pakistan’s underground nuclear infrastructure. “This was likely a warning strike,” Symon said, adding that the nearby tunnels and sensitive installations remain untouched.
At the time of the operation, Indian Air Force officials firmly denied targeting Kirana Hills. During a press conference on May 12, Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti quipped, “We did not hit Kirana Hills,” while delivering a noticeably coy smile that went viral online and fueled speculation.
The newly released images also reveal repaired runways at the Sargodha (now Mushaf) airbase, located near the Kirana Hills. These repairs indicate that the base was damaged during the strikes and prioritized for restoration, further supporting reports that multiple strategic locations were targeted by the Indian Air Force.
India is believed to have launched around 15 BrahMos and other precision missiles during the operation, crippling 11 of Pakistan’s 13 key airbases. The offensive dealt a significant blow to Pakistan’s air defence network and exposed vulnerabilities in its military infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Symon previously debunked Pakistani media claims that their forces had hit India’s Adampur airbase, damaging a Su-30MKI and destroying an S-400 system. Citing earlier imagery from March 2025, Symon showed a MiG-29 undergoing regular maintenance, refuting the claims entirely. Days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Adampur and posed with military personnel beside an intact S-400 battery, delivering a visual rebuttal to Pakistan’s narrative.
The emerging details from satellite analysis underscore the strategic depth and high-stakes nature of Operation Sindoor and continue to shape regional military discourse months after the strikes.
