Vienna [Austria], May 16 (HBTV): Military and strategic analyst Tom Cooper has raised serious concerns about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure, suggesting that recent developments reinforce longstanding doubts about the country's ability to manage its arsenal. His remarks come amid speculation following India’s Operation Sindoor and reports of strikes near suspected Pakistani nuclear facilities.

‘India has a perfect picture of what is going on there. The fighting ended actually after India hit two entrances to one of Pakistan’s underground facilities, suspected or assumed to be a nuclear facility,’ said Cooper, responding to questions about whether nuclear sites had been damaged, despite Indian officials denying such targets were struck.

He referred to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent statements that questioned Pakistan’s nuclear command and safety protocols. ‘He (Defence Minister Rajnath Singh) now says that Pakistan’s ability to handle nuclear weapons is questionable. This is not new. We have heard such concerns issued even by nuclear scientists, and not just a few of them, but 20 or even more. It is just a confirmation that the situation has not improved in this regard, on one side,’ Cooper stated.

He further noted that India’s intelligence and strategic capabilities continue to monitor Pakistani military movements closely. ‘It is also a confirmation for the dominance or freedom of operation of Indian armed forces well inside Pakistan,’ he added.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed Indian Army soldiers at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, stating, ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi has redefined India’s policy against terrorism, which now says that any attack on Indian soil will be considered as an act of war.’

The Defence Minister emphasised that India has always prioritised peace and never supported war; however, when its sovereignty is attacked, it is necessary to respond. He warned that if Pakistan continues to support terrorism, it will pay a heavier price.

Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). This operation was a retaliatory response to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including one Nepali national, while several others were injured.

Following the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling along the Line of Control and in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as attempted drone attacks across the border regions. In response, India launched a coordinated strike, damaging radar infrastructure, communication centres, and airfields across multiple Pakistani airbases.

On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an understanding on the cessation of hostilities. (ANI)