India-Pakistan Tensions: Satellite Imagery Uncovers Missile Strike on Pakistan’s Kirana Hills

National News: Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year, fresh satellite images have surfaced revealing a missile strike on the Kirana Hills area in Pakistan’s Sargodha district—long believed to be a hub for the country’s nuclear arsenal. High-resolution visuals, captured in June 2025 via Google Earth and shared by satellite imagery analyst Damien Simon on social platform X (formerly Twitter), appear to confirm an Indian missile strike during the military operation known as Operation Sindoor.

Contradiction Emerges: Satellite Evidence vs IAF Statements

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had earlier denied conducting any strikes on nuclear installations in Kirana Hills. However, two specific satellite images posted by Simon suggest otherwise:

• The first image is labeled as the Impact zone of the Indian missile strike at Kirana Hills, May 2025.
• The second image shows freshly repaired runways at Pakistan’s Sargodha Airbase, allegedly damaged during the same offensive.
• These repairs suggest that the Pakistani military rushed to restore high-value defense infrastructure, indicating the strategic importance of the targeted areas.

Kirana Hills—A Long-Suspected Nuclear Stronghold

For decades, Kirana Hills has been associated with Pakistan’s nuclear and missile development programs. Intelligence and defense experts have pointed to the existence of secret underground storage facilities in the region. If the missile strike did, in fact, impact such sites, it would highlight India’s deep-strike precision and its access to some of Pakistan’s most secure military zones.

Background: Air Conflict Triggered by Pahalgam Attack

The backdrop to this confrontation dates back to April 2025, when a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 26 civilians. In retaliation, India launched targeted strikes on terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

This escalated into a broader aerial conflict, during which India reportedly hit 11 airbases across Pakistan, including strategic locations like Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan. Despite these offensives, Indian authorities maintained that nuclear facilities were not among their designated targets.

Strategic Implications

These satellite disclosures reinforce India’s advancing capabilities in intelligence-led precision strikes and underscore the growing reach of its military operations. The possibility that Kirana Hills—considered one of Pakistan’s most protected regions—was within striking range sends a strong message across international defense circles. As diplomatic engagements continue between the two nations, these developments are likely to become central to upcoming strategic and geopolitical conversations.