Note: This piece was written a couple of days before the emphatic official denial by India in carrying out any such targeted strikes on Kirna Hills military weapons storage site near Mushaf Airbse in Sargodha

by GHK

The reported strike by Indian munition-missiles on Kirna Hilla, a hardened military storage site near Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, Pakistan, marks what appears to be an unprecedented brazen and daring attack in the India-Pakistan terror related conflict.

However, this news remains unconfirmed, however, almost almost immediately after this attack, “Pakistan’s DGMO called Indian DGMO at 15:35 hours on Saturday pleading for peace. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, in the air & sea with effect from 1700 hours IST. Instructions was given on both sides to give effect to this understanding. 

The Blistering Attack

Now, coming to brass tacks, according to multiple sources, this facility, which houses both nuclear weapons and conventional ammunition, was hit on May 10, 2025, potentially representing the first direct attack on a nuclear-armed state's warhead storage facility in global history.

This development has not been confirmed by India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) or in the main stream media, however, an extensive array of private Pakistani social media videos and images have indicated a definitive attack on the strategic facility. UAV, Bunker Buster Bombs, BrahMos or even a Prithvi-II ballistic missile strike could have been used, which most likely disabled Pakistan's most important weapons storage site. The precision attack was carried out at the entrance of the hardened tunnel facility with two precision hits.

The Kirna Hilla Attack: What We Know

On May 10, 2025, multiple reports emerged indicating that Indian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or a ballistic missile conducted strikes on Kirna Hilla, a hardened military storage site located near Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, Pakistan. This facility is reportedly used for storing both nuclear weapons and conventional ammunition. The strike appears to be part of a larger series of Indian attacks on Pakistani military installations deep inside their territory (170 kms).

The attack on Kirna Hilla represents a significant escalation, as it directly targeted infrastructure potentially housing components of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. Pakistan has built "hard and deeply buried storage and launch facilities" for its nuclear weapons program, with Kirna Hilla representing one such hardened site. The Pakistani military has extensive protocols for securing its nuclear assets, making them difficult to assemble by storing components in different locations.

While full details about the extent of damage to the facility remain unclear, the targeting of such a sensitive installation marks a dramatic development in conventional warfare between nuclear-armed states.

Pakistan's Nuclear Program And Storage Infrastructure

Pakistan developed its nuclear program outside the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), following what geopolitical experts describe as a philosophy of "beg, borrow, or steal." According to the 2023 Pakistan Nuclear Handbook published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Pakistan possesses a stockpile of approximately 170 nuclear warheads.

Pakistan's fissile material production takes place at facilities in Nilore, Kahuta, and the Khushab Nuclear Complexes. The impoverished country has invested significantly in security measures for its nuclear arsenal, with the National Command Authority (NCA) overseeing the program. This body, comprising senior civilian and military officials, is responsible for making critical security and strategic decisions regarding Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

The security of Pakistan's nuclear stockpile has been a subject of international concern. A study by the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University titled "Securing the Bomb 2010" found that "Pakistan's stockpile faces a greater threat from Islamic radical extremists seeking nuclear weapons than any other nuclear stockpile on earth". However, Pakistani authorities have consistently maintained that their nuclear assets are secure.

The Broader India-Pakistan Conflict (May 2025)

India's move to strike several Pakistani airbases with BrahMos, HAMMER and SCALP missiles—an action even bigger in scale than Operation Sindoor—reportedly triggered serious concerns in Pakistan. Among the targets reportedly hit were 11 Pakistani military bases—Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Sargodha, Bholari, Murid, Chunian, Pasrur, Sukkur, Sialkot, Skardu, and Jacobabad.

It is believed, India’s precision strike on the Nur Khan Airbase significantly shifted the momentum on the battlefield.

In response to the escalating situation, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the National Command Authority on May 10, 2025. This move indicated the seriousness with which Pakistani leadership is treating the situation, as the NCA is the top body overseeing the country's nuclear arsenal.

Historical Significance And Precedent

If verified, the attack on Kirna Hilla would represent the first direct strike on a nuclear weapons storage facility of a nuclear-armed state in history. This crosses a threshold that has previously been respected even during intense conflicts between nuclear powers.

The international community has generally observed an unwritten rule against targeting nuclear installations of adversaries, largely due to the catastrophic risks such attacks could pose. The 1988 India-Pakistan Non-Attack Agreement specifically prohibits attacks against each other's nuclear installations, though the current conflict suggests this agreement may have effectively collapsed.

Nuclear Site Security Concerns

Pakistan has taken measures to secure its nuclear facilities by distributing components across different locations. The Pakistanis store their nuclear stockpile in a way that makes it difficult to put the pieces together; that is, components are located in different places. This compartmentalisation strategy is designed precisely to mitigate risks in scenarios like the current conflict.

Potential Implications And Risks

The attack on a nuclear storage facility raises several serious concerns:

Radiation Risks: Depending on what was stored at Kirna Hilla and the nature of the attack, there could be risks of radiation release if any nuclear material was compromised.

Adding to the intrigue, an Egyptian Air Force IL-76 military cargo plane is said to have landed in Pakistan in the early hours on Sunday following the strikes. Official sources have offered no clarification, but defence watchers noted the possible significance: Egypt’s Nile Delta is rich in Boron-10—a substance with known radiation absorption properties used in nuclear containment.

Adding fuel to the fire, flight trackers such as Flightradar24 allegedly spotted a US Beechcraft B350 Aerial Measuring System (AMS) audit aircraft over Pakistani airspace. The aircraft, with tail number N111SZ, is part of a US Department of Energy fleet designed for detecting radioactive contamination in emergency scenarios. The B350 AMS has previously been used after incidents such as the Fukushima disaster and is equipped with gamma-ray sensors and real-time mapping tools, reported Economic Times.

Escalation Potential: Attacks on nuclear infrastructure could trigger an escalatory spiral that might be difficult to control. The involvement of nuclear facilities significantly raises the stakes in the conflict.

Precedent Setting: This attack could potentially alter international norms regarding the targeting of nuclear facilities during conventional conflicts.

Security of Nuclear Materials: If the facility was damaged, questions arise about the security of any nuclear materials or components stored there.

Conclusion

The reported strike on Kirna Hilla represents a dangerous new phase in the India-Pakistan conflict and potentially in the history of warfare between nuclear-armed states. If confirmed, this would be the first direct attack on a nuclear weapons storage facility belonging to a nuclear-armed state, marking a significant escalation beyond previously observed norms of conflict.

However, as a probable consequence of this unprecedented attack by the Indian armed forces, both India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire and that military action has been paused as of 5pm (IST) on 10th May 2025. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a very brief press conference in New Delhi where he made the announcement.

This piece from the originating author might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. IDN does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author