IAEA Rejects Radiation Leak Rumors at Kirana Hills After Indian Strikes in Operation Sindoor
IAEA Steps In to Deny Radiation Leak at Kirana Hills
Wild rumors have a nasty way of spreading online, especially when nuclear sites are involved. After India's recent military operation—Operation Sindoor—lit up social media with speculation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had to step in. Their message was clear and direct: nothing leaked, and nothing dangerous happened at Pakistan's secretive Kirana Hills nuclear site.
Social media, as usual, didn't wait for evidence. There were dozens of posts overnight, some even claiming that Indian airstrikes deliberately targeted Kirana Hills in Pakistan's Punjab province, a location whispered about in defense circles as home to hidden nuclear warheads and bunkers. Worries spread fast, partly stoked by chatter about a US B350 AMS aircraft, a plane designed to sniff out nuclear radiation, being spotted nearby. Then came rumors tying small earthquakes in Pakistan to some kind of nuclear incident—all without a scrap of solid proof.
The IAEA was quick to set the record straight. Using the data at its disposal, the agency insisted there was no sign of any radioactive release. No alarms, no raised radiation levels, nothing to suggest the Kirana Hills site—or any other Pakistani nuclear location—had sprung a leak. Their statement was aimed not just at social media users, but at a world nervous about anything that smells like a nuclear mishap.
India Responds to Claims, Focuses on Terror Targets
On India's side, officials wasted no time pushing back against the claims. Air Marshal AK Bharti, who oversees air operations, didn't just deny the accusations—he did it with a dash of sarcasm. When asked about Kirana Hills, he joked, "Thank you for telling us Kirana Hills houses nuclear installations. We did not know about it." For those watching closely, that was a dig at the speculation, plus a clear message that India’s campaign had a different target list entirely.
Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, echoed the same story. He insisted India’s strikes were limited to terrorist camps and military assets, not nuclear sites—a point meant to cool down the conversation and keep both sides from spiraling into nuclear paranoia. As for the supposed seismic event, experts in Pakistan and abroad concluded the recent tremors were standard tectonic activity, not anything linked to a bomb or an accident.
So why all the fuss? There’s a real strategic edge to addressing these rumors swiftly. By clarifying that only conventional military assets were targeted, and with the IAEA dismissing nuclear fears, both India and the international community wanted to stop the crisis narrative before it gained traction. According to seasoned defense watchers, India’s targeting choices may have been deliberately close—but not too close—to Kirana Hills. The idea: show resolve and reach, but don’t poke the nuclear bear, keeping things just this side of out-of-control escalation.
For now, the IAEA’s announcement seems to have taken the air out of the panic, at least among those looking for reassurance rather than drama. The agency remains in touch with authorities in Pakistan, staying on alert in case anything changes, but insists the world has nothing to worry about—at least from Kirana Hills.