Desk:Following India’s airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, there were widespread claims that radiation was leaking from Pakistani territory. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has now officially clarified that no such incident has occurred at any nuclear facility in Pakistan.
Frederik Dahl from the IAEA’s press office, responding to a Times of India query via email, said, “We are aware of these reports. Based on the information currently available to the agency, there has been no radiation leak or incident at any nuclear facility in Pakistan.”
These clarifications come amid viral social media posts and speculative reports in some international outlets suggesting that India had targeted Kirana Hills—a site allegedly housing Pakistan’s nuclear weapons cache—as part of the operation.
Earlier, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, Indian Air Force, also dismissed the claims with sarcasm during a media interaction: “Thank you for informing us that nuclear weapons are stored in Kirana Hills. We had no idea. We did not target Kirana Hills.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs had also rejected the rumors during a press briefing on Tuesday. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “Our military actions remained strictly within the conventional domain. Some reports claimed Pakistan’s National Command Authority was convening an emergency meeting, but even Pakistani officials later denied such developments.”
The IAEA’s statement invalidates speculations that a nuclear leak was the reason behind the sudden ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Some international commentators had even amplified such theories on various media platforms.
At a press briefing in Washington D.C. on May 13, U.S. Deputy Principal Spokesperson Thomas Pigott was asked whether the U.S. had sent a team to investigate the alleged radiation leak in Pakistan. Pigott declined to comment, stating, “I have nothing to share on that at this time.” However, the U.S. has welcomed the ceasefire and reiterated support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Under Operation Sindoor, India conducted precision airstrikes on several Pakistani military installations, including the Sargodha and Nur Khan airbases. Rumors quickly surfaced on social media claiming that Kirana Hills, located about 20 km from Sargodha, had also been struck, causing a radiation emergency. Unverified reports even suggested sightings of a U.S. B350 AMS aircraft—typically used for nuclear emergency response—in Pakistani airspace, as well as a plane from Egypt allegedly transporting boron (a radiation control material) to Pakistan.
However, all such claims have been categorically denied by the IAEA, Indian authorities, and the Pakistani government. A viral document purporting to be a “Radiological Safety Bulletin” from Pakistan’s government was also found to be fake.
It is worth noting that India and Pakistan signed a bilateral agreement in 1988 pledging not to attack each other’s nuclear facilities. Both nations have since reaffirmed their commitment to this pact annually.