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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that there has been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan, days after reports suggested that a nuclear site at Kirana Hills might have been hit during the recent Operation Sindoor conducted by the Indian Armed Forces.

 

"Based on information available to the IAEA, there has been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan," the global nuclear watchdog said in an email response.

 

The IAEA’s statement comes amid speculation over possible damage to Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure following the military operation. The operation, launched in the early hours of May 7, targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as a retaliatory strike following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The attack claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including one Nepali national, and left several others injured.

 

Responding to questions on whether India had struck the Kirana Hills site, Air Marshal AK Bharti, during a press briefing on Monday, dismissed the claims, saying, "Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation, we did not know about it. We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there."

Also read: Did nuclear radiation fears prompt US mediated India-Pak truce?

 

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also weighed in on the issue, suggesting that Washington had played a role in preventing a potential nuclear conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

 

"We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed. I also want to thank VP JD Vance and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, for their work," Trump said, reflecting on the tense standoff.

 

The Indian operation was a direct response to the Pahalgam attack, which prompted cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces and attempted drone attacks along the Line of Control and other border areas. In response, Indian forces conducted coordinated strikes, reportedly damaging radar installations, communication centres, and airfields across multiple airbases in Pakistan.

 

The ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, reached on May 10, has since helped to ease tensions, although concerns about further escalations remain.