India Hit Pakistan’s Nuclear Nerve Kirana Hills In Covert Warning During Operation Sindoor – Here’s The Evidence

The blast did not ripped through mountain tunnels or crumbled bunkers. It caused an impact scar. One that does not disturb the fortified caves beneath but leaves a mark nonetheless.

New Delhi: In May 2025, as skies crackled with fire between India and Pakistan, a peculiar hush followed one specific strike. A place that is always whispered about but rarely named aloud – Kirana Hills. Known in military circles as a suspected hideaway for Pakistan’s nuclear warheads, this location now finds itself under a cloud of satellite speculation.

An intriguing claim has surfaced, not from any anonymous source, but from a respected name in the world of open-source intelligence. Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher who has spent years decoding satellite imagery and monitoring warzones from the sky, posted something that raised eyebrows. A few high-definition frames from updated Google Earth imagery. A note that something may have scorched the Kirana Hills. Not deep. Not destructive. But deliberate.

Symon, who operates under the social media handle @detresfa, did not suggest a blast that ripped through mountain tunnels or crumbled bunkers. Instead, he spoke of a single blemish, an impact scar. One that does not disturb the fortified caves beneath but leaves a mark nonetheless. A message in smoke. A tap on the shoulder.

As images from June 2025 surfaced, Symon pointed out two changes in Pakistan’s Sargodha region. First, damage near the Kirana Hills. Second, runways at the nearby Sargodha airbase that had been patched up after Indian strikes.

His interpretation? India may have chosen a strategic “warning strike” on the Kirana Hills. A symbolic nudge. One that did not penetrate, but pointed straight at something precious.

Imagery update from Google Earth of the Sargodha region, Pakistan, captured in June 2025, shows -

1 - the impact location of India's strike on Kirana Hills in May 2025
2 - repaired runways at Sargodha airbase post India's strikes in May 2025 pic.twitter.com/BLOXYB9fKP

— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) July 18, 2025

The Indian government, meanwhile, maintains a denial. During a press briefing on May 12, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti made it clear, “We have not hit Kirana Hills. Whatever is there, I did not brief that yesterday.”

The message was firm. The military line has not budged.

Around the same time, smoke columns caught the attention of digital sleuths. Videos posted online showed plumes rising near rugged hills. Analysts began digging. It hovered uncomfortably close to Kirana.

Social media lit up. Threads speculated. Images floated. People claimed Kirana Hills were hit. Some saw it as proof of India calling Pakistan’s nuclear bluff. Others saw clever psychological warfare, impact without incursion.

Symon replied to a user’s question about whether the imagery implied a deep strike. He was unequivocal, “No. This along with earlier imagery indicates no underground penetration. Just one side of a hill. No critical assets nearby. Must have been a warning. The tunnels are farther away. No damage there.”

To understand why this one strike matters, it is necessary to go back to how things unfolded in May. India launched precision strikes on May 7 in retaliation for a terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 innocent civilians lost their lives.

The Indian response was swift and calculated. Eleven Pakistani military locations were hit. Among them were Nur Khan near Rawalpindi, Rafiqui, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur and Sialkot.

The strike on Nur Khan airbase, near Pakistan’s military nerve centre, drew global attention. Located alarmingly close to the Strategic Plans Division, which manages Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, the Nur Khan attack was seen as a game-changer. The New York Times quoted a former U.S. official who suggested that the strike could have rattled Pakistan’s nuclear security nerves. The possibility of India demonstrating a decapitation capability was not ruled out.

Satellite imagery later suggested that even the Mushaf airbase in Sargodha was hit with loitering munitions. This airbase is associated with underground bunkers said to store nuclear warheads – yes, the same facility closely tied to the Kirana Hills.

The Indian military leadership has not confirmed this strike beyond general statements. But Symon’s recent findings, if verified, add to the belief that India intended to send a direct signal – don’t cross the line; we can reach wherever we want to.

This is where Symon’s credibility matters. Known for exposing doctored images and false claims, especially during periods of high tension, he is not easily dismissed. He flagged fake visuals spread by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR – the media and public relations wing of Pakistan’s armed forces), confirmed hits on military targets and used tools like LANDSAT, KawaSpace and MazarVision to ground his assessments in visual proof.

More than a show of firepower, Operation Sindoor was a mind game. A move-and-countermove battle played out in the skies and on screens, maps and strategic nerve centres.

While India insists that Kirana Hills were left untouched, Symon’s evidence continues to echo across defence circles. If the hit did happen, even if just a scrape, it was not meant for destruction, but for precision, posture and psychological dominance.

Sometimes the loudest statements are made in silence. And sometimes, the deepest impacts leave no crater.