Clarification on Kirana Hills
Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has addressed longstanding speculation about whether Indian forces struck Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor, stating that any impact was unintentional. Speaking at an event organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation, Chauhan explained that loitering munitions dispatched to search for radars around Sargodha may have struck one of the hills after exhausting their fuel. Both Moneycontrol and The Times of India reported his account of the episode.
According to The Times of India, Chauhan noted that Kirana Hills lies about 10 kilometres north of Sargodha and is associated with Pakistan's nuclear facilities. He said the munitions were programmed to loiter for roughly two hours while hunting targets; once their lifetime ended without locating a radar, they would descend and impact wherever they were. Pakistani media had earlier broadcast images of smoke rising from the hills, an observation Chauhan said could be explained by such an unintended hit. Moneycontrol similarly carried his remarks linking the smoke images to the possible impact of the spent munitions.
Approval of Strikes Amid Pakistani Outreach
Chauhan also disclosed details of key decision-making moments during the operation. He recounted that Pakistan reached out seeking talks at around 10 am. At that point the Air Chief sought his approval for a planned strike on Sargodha. Chauhan said he replied, "Go ahead." Both outlets reported this sequence and the direct quotation.
He then instructed the Air Chief to identify two additional targets. Skardu was among those put forward and received approval, yet deteriorating weather forced a switch to Bholari. Moneycontrol and The Times of India both conveyed this account of the target adjustments.
Guiding Principles and Tactical Choices
Moneycontrol reported that India had established an escalation principle under which "the last strike or the winning note will always be delivered by us and not by the Pakistanis." Chauhan presented this as one of the core rules India set for itself during the operation. He further explained the choice to operate in lower airspace, describing it as a deliberate third option intended to keep the conflict threshold low, assure success, and preserve an element of surprise.
The Times of India recorded Chauhan emphasising that military decisions carry varying levels of risk and must be weighed against the political objectives they are meant to serve. He observed that Operation Sindoor remains relevant nearly 15 months after its major active phase concluded. Any assessment, he said, should incorporate deficiencies identified during the operation, the corrective measures subsequently taken, and the evolving character of warfare. These elements, combined with wider global uncertainties, continue to pose fresh challenges for military planners.
Context of the Remarks
Chauhan delivered the remarks at the VIMARSH event focused on Operation Sindoor and its aftermath, hosted by the Vivekananda International Foundation. His comments provided the most detailed public account yet of specific targeting decisions and the rationale behind them, while directly addressing questions that had circulated about activity near Kirana Hills. The former CDS framed the episode as an incidental outcome of munitions reaching the end of their operational life rather than a deliberate strike on the site.