New Delhi: A major revelation has emerged about one of the most secretive military actions in Indian history. International aviation expert Tom Cooper has claimed that India’s covert May 2025 anti-terror military campaign, Operation Sindoor, delivered a crippling blow to Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure by striking the underground facility at Kirana Hills.
In an interview with the media, Cooper said the operation involved a carefully coordinated missile strike that targeted one of Pakistan’s most sensitive nuclear storage locations. According to him, the attack marked a decisive moment, demonstrating India’s capability to penetrate even hardened strategic assets. He asserted that there is clear visual evidence supporting his claims, including footage of missiles hitting the hills and smoke rising from a nearby radar installation. Cooper described the strike as a precision operation designed to neutralise Pakistan’s response capability before disabling access to the underground depot. The attack reportedly took place on May 10, 2025, stunning observers and rapidly shifting the balance of the conflict.
Missile strike on Kirana Hills
According to Cooper, Indian planners first eliminated Pakistan’s early-warning systems by destroying the radar station of the Pakistan Air Force’s 4091 Squadron. With radar coverage disabled, missiles were then launched at the two main entrances of the underground storage complex at Kirana Hills, a site widely believed to house nuclear weapons. Cooper said the sequence of events is visible in available footage, impacts on the hillside followed by smoke billowing from the radar station. He stressed that the objective was not widespread destruction but strategic denial, blocking access points to the facility and rendering it temporarily unusable. “Kirana Hills is known to be one of the main centres of Pakistan’s nuclear programme,” Cooper said, adding that the operation showed a high degree of planning and technical coordination by the Indian Air Force. He further claimed that after just 88 hours of sustained air and missile operations, Pakistan was forced to seek a ceasefire.
“India has sent a clear message that it can strike anywhere, anytime,” Cooper said. “Even nuclear facilities are not beyond reach if Pakistan escalates.” Cooper also stated that Pakistan’s counter-offensive, Operation Bunyan-un-Marsuz, failed largely because of India’s air defence systems, which intercepted incoming threats and prevented meaningful retaliation. In his assessment, this defensive shield was the primary reason Pakistan’s response did not achieve its objectives.
Pakistan seeks ceasefire after failed counter-offensive
Cooper maintains that multiple strands of evidence point to India’s success during Operation Sindoor. Beyond missile impact footage, he cited visual confirmation of damage to radar infrastructure as proof of the opening phase of the strike. He believes India achieved a clear military victory, forcing Pakistan into a defensive posture and ultimately compelling it to approach both India and the United States for a ceasefire. However, these claims were officially denied. Air Force Vice Chief Nagesh Kapoor told reporters that he had no knowledge of any strike on Kirana Hills. The denial, observers note, is widely viewed as part of maintaining operational secrecy. Despite this, Cooper argues that Pakistan’s rapid push for de-escalation, combined with the collapse of Operation Bunyan-un-Marsuz, reinforces his assessment of India’s battlefield superiority. He also pointed to India’s layered air defence network as a decisive factor, stating that Pakistan’s missiles and aircraft were unable to penetrate Indian defences in any meaningful way.
IAF Republic Day video reignites Kirana debate
The debate has intensified following the release of a short video by the Indian Air Force on Republic Day, highlighting the achievements of Operation Sindoor. The footage shows Indian aircraft assembling under the title “peacekeepers,” while also depicting strikes on Pakistan’s Sargodha Air Base, located close to the Kirana Hills region.
The video features Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar and Tejas fighter jets, and includes visuals of attacks on the Nur Khan Air Base and terrorist camps. While the Air Force has maintained that Kirana Hills was not targeted, the proximity of Sargodha to the suspected nuclear site has revived speculation.
During the original press briefing after Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti responded with a smile when asked about Kirana Hills. “Thank you for telling us there are nuclear plants there, we did not know that,” he said, reiterating that India had not attacked the location.
The Air Force has continued to stand by this position even after the Republic Day video release. Nevertheless, Kirana Hills is widely believed to be a nuclear weapons storage site near Sargodha, and it had been reported earlier that India had identified the area during Operation Sindoor as a strategic pressure point.
With Cooper’s assertions, Pakistan’s failed counter-offensive, and the imagery circulated by the Indian Air Force, debate continues over whether Kirana Hills was silently struck, making Operation Sindoor one of the most consequential and opaque episodes in modern military history.
