Anil Chauhan clarifies Kirana Hills strike during Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor loitering munitions Kirana Hills Anil Chauhan Sargodha

Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has provided new details regarding Operation Sindoor, clarifying that an Indian loitering munition likely struck Pakistan’s Kirana Hills unintentionally. The strike occurred after the munition, which had an operational flight time of approximately two hours, failed to locate its intended targets—Pakistani radar systems near Sargodha.

Chauhan explained that the Kirana Hills, located about 10 kilometers north of Sargodha, are a significant site often associated with Pakistani nuclear facilities. He noted that the munition likely ran out of fuel and descended into the hills after its search mission failed. This explanation addresses long-standing speculation fueled by Pakistani media reports showing smoke rising from the area during the operation.

Additionally, Chauhan revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the military ‘complete freedom of action’ during the operation, allowing commanders to decide the timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. He also disclosed that Pakistan’s attempts to use commercial satellite imagery from Chinese and US companies to verify the impact of its own actions were unsuccessful, as they could not find evidence of damage to Indian targets.

Entities

Anil Chauhan · Kirana Hills · Narendra Modi · Operation Sindoor · Sargodha · Vivekananda International Foundation

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 9 SOURCES] The munition struck the hills after failing to find intended radar targets near Sargodha. www.latestly.com · www.agniban.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.newsx.com · www.socialnews.xyz · +4 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Commercial satellite imagery from Chinese and US companies is available to any purchaser through contracts and payments. www.zoomnews.in
[● 9 SOURCES] An Indian loitering munition struck Pakistan’s Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor. www.latestly.com · www.agniban.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.newsx.com · www.socialnews.xyz · +4 more
[● 8 SOURCES] The strike on Kirana Hills was unintentional and not a deliberate target. www.latestly.com · www.agniban.com · www.newsx.com · www.socialnews.xyz · www.aajtak.in · +3 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Pakistan was unable to obtain evidence of targets being hit during Operation Sindoor despite attempting to access commercial satellite imagery. www.zoomnews.in
[● 9 SOURCES] The loitering munitions were deployed to locate and destroy Pakistani radar systems near Sargodha. www.agniban.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.latestly.com · www.newsx.com · www.socialnews.xyz · +4 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The loitering munitions used during the operation had an operational flight time of approximately two hours. www.agniban.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.latestly.com · www.newsx.com · www.aajtak.in · +1 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the military complete freedom of action for Operation Sindoor. newsable.asianetnews.com · www.orissapost.com · thenews21.com · www.news18.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Pakistan failed to obtain evidence of targets being hit during Operation Sindoor despite attempting to access commercial satellite imagery. www.zoomnews.in