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Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has revealed fresh details about the events surrounding Operation Sindoor, stating that an Indian loitering munition may have struck Pakistan’s Kirana Hills area, but the location was not deliberately targeted.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi, General Chauhan explained that Indian forces had deployed loitering munitions towards Sargodha during the operation to search for Pakistani radar systems. Kirana Hills is located around 10 kilometres north of Sargodha, an area considered strategically important due to its military significance.
According to Chauhan, these weapons are designed to remain airborne for a limited period while searching for assigned targets. If a target is not detected within the operational window, the munition eventually strikes an available location.
Clarifying speculation over whether India targeted Pakistan’s reported nuclear-related facilities at Kirana Hills, the former CDS said the strike was not a planned attack on the site.
He explained that one of the loitering weapons searching for radars around Sargodha could have moved towards the nearby hills after failing to identify its intended target. The possibility of a strike in the area emerged after Pakistani media showed visuals of smoke near Kirana Hills following Operation Sindoor.
Earlier, Indian Air Force officials had also denied deliberately targeting any nuclear installation at Kirana Hills.
General Chauhan also shared details about India’s operational planning during Operation Sindoor. He said Indian forces carried out multiple waves of air attacks and maintained a strategy focused on precision strikes while keeping escalation under control.
He revealed that the Indian Air Force had received approval for additional targets, including Skardu, but adverse weather conditions affected the final execution of some missions.
Chauhan further stated that Pakistan attempted to obtain commercial satellite imagery after the operation to assess the impact of strikes. He said such satellite services are commercially available from companies across different countries, including China and the United States.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack and targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
