Did India Hit Kirana Hills During Operation Sindoor? Ex-CDS Anil Chauhan Explains What Happened (Video)
Did India hit Pakistan’s Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor? Former CDS General Anil Chauhan said an Indian loitering munition did strike the area, but Kirana Hills was not the intended target. He said the munition was searching for radars around Sargodha and, after failing to find a target within its operating time, likely struck one of the hills.
Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said Tuesday, August 25, that an Indian loitering munition did hit Pakistan’s Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor last year, but the location was not an intended target. According to Chauhan, the munition had been deployed to search for radar systems around Sargodha and appears to have struck Kirana Hills after failing to find its intended target.
Chauhan’s comments provide the latest explanation for an incident that had remained a subject of speculation since Operation Sindoor. He said Kirana Hills is about 10 km north of Sargodha, where Indian forces had sent multiple loitering munitions looking for radars. He explained that such weapons have a limited loitering time and, if they do not identify a target, eventually descend and strike. Operation Sindoor 1st Anniversary: 6 Pillars of the Anti-Terror Strike in Pakistan.
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Did India Target Kirana Hills?
Chauhan stressed that Kirana Hills itself was not deliberately targeted. "Bharti had rightly clarified that we did not target Kirana Hills," said General Chauhan while speaking at an event in New Delhi. He was referring to Air Marshal AK Bharti, the former Director General of Air Operations during Operation Sindoor.
"I can give an explanation," said General Chauhan. "Before those strikes, we had sent a lot of loiter ammunitions at Sargodha and Kirana Hills, which is 10 km north of Sargodha. So the loiter ammunition was looking for radars which were in and around Sargodha and its got a lifetime. It will loiter for about two hours and if it doesn't find a target, it will come and hit somewhere. It must have come and hit one of those hills."
Chauhan's explanation is consistent with his earlier point that the munition was searching for radar targets around Sargodha rather than being assigned to Kirana Hills.
What Happened To The Loitering Munition?
According to Chauhan, the weapons sent towards Sargodha had a limited operating period. Their task was to locate and engage radar systems in and around the area.
If a munition failed to find a target within its available loitering time, it would eventually come down and hit a location.
"Before those strikes, we had sent a lot of loiter ammunition at Sargodha, and Kirana Hills is 10 km north of Sargodha. So the loiter ammunition was looking for radars which were in and around Sargodha, and it has got a lifetime. It will loiter for about two hours, and if it doesn't find a target, it will come and hit somewhere. It must have come and hit one of those hills,'' General Chauhan was quoted by ANI as saying.
What Did Air Marshal AK Bharti Say?
The latest explanation follows comments made during Operation Sindoor by Air Marshal AK Bharti, who had denied that India had deliberately attacked Kirana Hills. Responding to a question at a press conference on May 12 last year, Bharti had said:
“Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation. We did not know about it. And we have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there.” Chauhan's comments now clarify that while Kirana Hills was not an intended target, an Indian loitering munition may nevertheless have struck the area.
Why Kirana Hills Became A Talking Point
Kirana Hills has been associated with sensitive Pakistani military and nuclear infrastructure, making reports of a possible strike there particularly significant. The issue gained attention after images reportedly showing smoke from the area circulated during the conflict. Chauhan referred to the reports and said the explanation could account for what was seen at the site.
However, the distinction between hitting the area and deliberately targeting a nuclear facility is central to Chauhan's explanation. His account is that the munition was looking for radar targets near Sargodha and ended up striking one of the hills after failing to find its intended target.
IAF Was Also Cleared To Strike Skardu
Chauhan also revealed that the Indian Air Force had received approval to strike a target at Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during Operation Sindoor.
"The Chief had asked me whether he should strike Sargodha. I said, 'Go ahead' and added, 'Please identify two more targets.' One of the targets he had identified was Skardu. We gave a yes, but after some time, the weather was bad in Skardu, and they had to change over to Bholari," Chauhan said. The Bholari strike subsequently became one of the prominent episodes of the May 10 air campaign.
Operation Sindoor involved Indian strikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. Indian forces used a range of precision weapons, including loitering munitions. More than a year later, Chauhan's remarks offer a direct explanation for the Kirana Hills episode: the area was apparently hit, but according to the former CDS, it was not selected as the target of the operation.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2026 09:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).