General Anil Chauhan, the former Chief of Defence Staff, has claimed that a loitering munition fired by India during Operation Sindoor in May 2025 may have struck Pakistan's Kirana Hills, which is believed to house a nuclear installation.
General Anil Chauhan, who served as the Chief of Defence Staff during Operation Sindoor carried out against alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has made a statement suggesting that a loitering munition fired by India may have hit Pakistan's Kirana Hills. This military operation was conducted in response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that resulted in 26 fatalities on April 22, 2025. Speaking at an event in Delhi on Tuesday, General Chauhan explained that the Indian military did not intentionally target a nuclear site with these munitions. Instead, they were sent towards Sargodha to search for radars around the area. Kirana Hills, approximately 10 kilometres north of Sargodha, may have been inadvertently struck, according to Chauhan. The munitions in question had an endurance of around two hours and would descend if they failed to find a target within this time frame. During Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces confirmed that they had hit the Pakistani air base in Sargodha, among others, but Air Marshal AK Bharti, the director general of air operations at the time, rejected claims that Indian forces had targeted Kirana Hills.
Referring to Bharti’s statement, Chauhan clarified on Tuesday that he had ‘rightly clarified’ that Kirana Hills was not an intended target. The conflict between India and Pakistan ceased on May 10, 2025, with an understanding to halt firing.
Source:
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