Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has said India did not deliberately target Pakistan’s Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor, but acknowledged that an Indian loitering munition may have inadvertently struck the strategically sensitive area.
Chauhan said Indian forces had deployed several loitering munitions towards Sargodha to search for Pakistani radar installations. Kirana Hills, which is associated with Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure, lies around 10 km north of Sargodha, placing it close to the area where the weapons were operating.
Kirana Hills not a target
Speaking at an event organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi, Chauhan reiterated that Kirana Hills had not been among India’s intended targets during Operation Sindoor.
He explained that loitering munitions had been sent towards Sargodha to locate and attack radar systems in and around the area. Such weapons can remain airborne for a specified period while searching for a designated target before eventually exhausting their endurance.
According to Chauhan, one of the munitions may have failed to locate the radar it was searching for during its roughly two-hour loitering period and subsequently come down in the Kirana Hills area.
His remarks provide a possible explanation for images that emerged from Pakistan during the conflict showing smoke in the vicinity of the hills and subsequently fuelled speculation that India had deliberately targeted the location.
Earlier denial reiterated
During Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force had rejected suggestions that Kirana Hills had been intentionally attacked. Chauhan referred to the clarification issued at the time by then Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti and said it was correct.
The location attracted particular attention because of its reported association with Pakistan’s nuclear programme. A deliberate strike on such a site would have represented a significant escalation during the military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Chauhan’s account distinguishes the reported impact from India’s planned strikes, maintaining that the munition had originally been deployed against radar installations near Sargodha rather than the Kirana Hills facility itself.
Operation Sindoor revisited
Operation Sindoor was launched by India in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. The operation initially targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir before the confrontation expanded to include attacks on military assets amid escalating hostilities.
Loitering munitions played an important role during the confrontation, particularly in efforts to locate and neutralise air-defence and radar systems. Unlike conventional missiles, these weapons can remain airborne over a target area while searching for specific objectives before striking.
Chauhan’s comments offer fresh insight into one of the most debated episodes of Operation Sindoor, while maintaining India’s position that Pakistan’s sensitive Kirana Hills facility was never selected for a deliberate attack.