India 'did not know about' Punjab nuclear installation

Military says it did not target alleged facility in Kirana Hills

- ALISHA RAHAMAN SARKAR

India has denied targeting Pakistan's alleged nuclear installations as the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir observed the first peaceful night in days following a temporary truce between the two nations after days of military escalation.

Sunday night remained mostly peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the international border, the Indian army said, adding that there were no reported incidents of military action on the “first calm night in recent days”. The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan resumed talks yesterday on the next steps to ensure peace between the two nucleararmed rivals.

Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said India had gone more than 150km (93 miles) into Pakistan to strike Malir Cantonment in the city of Karachi. The air force also targeted a radar site in the city of Lahore and another site close to Gujranwala in Punjab province.

Dismissing speculation, the air marshal claimed that India had not targeted Kirana Hills, in Punjab province, which allegedly houses some of Pakistan’s nuclear installations. “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,” Air Marshal Bharti retorted following a reporter’s question.

“We also reiterate that our fight was with terrorists and their support infrastructure and not with the Pakistan military. However, it is a pity that the Pakistan military chose to intervene and bat for the terrorists, which compelled us to respond in kind,” he added.