Former CDS General Anil Chauhan has clarified that India did not deliberately target Pakistan’s Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor, but a loitering munition searching for radars near Sargodha may have accidentally struck the area, Republic World reported.

He also revealed that Pakistan, under pressure, repeatedly pushed for talks even as India continued calibrated strikes, underscoring New Delhi’s resolve to dictate the terms of escalation.

India’s Operation Sindoor was launched in May 2025 as a direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which killed 26 civilians. The operation involved precision strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists.

General Chauhan explained that loitering munitions were deployed around Sargodha to hunt for radar systems. These drones had a loitering time of about two hours, after which they would descend and strike if no target was found.

One such munition may have come down near Kirana Hills, about 10 kilometres north of Sargodha, an area long associated with Pakistan’s nuclear facilities.

Pakistani media later showed images of smoke rising from the hills, fuelling speculation that India had deliberately targeted the site.

Chauhan backed Air Marshal A.K. Bharti’s earlier clarification that India had not targeted Kirana Hills. He stressed that the impact was incidental, not intentional, and reiterated that India’s strikes were focused on military targets such as airbases and terror camps.

He further revealed that Pakistan’s leadership, rattled by the scale of India’s offensive, repeatedly reached out for talks. At one point, Pakistan’s military establishment contacted India around 10 am during the strikes, requesting dialogue.

Despite this, India authorised further strikes, including on Bholari airbase, after Skardu was skipped due to bad weather. Chauhan emphasised that India’s principle was clear: the final strike or “winning note” would always be delivered by India, not Pakistan.

The former CDS highlighted that India’s operational success stemmed from superior situational awareness, battlefield transparency, and networking among the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He noted that Pakistan struggled to assess the damage, even attempting to use commercial satellite imagery from Chinese companies without success.

Chauhan also underscored the importance of evolving strategies. He explained that India deliberately chose a “third option” during Operation Sindoor by exploiting lower airspace, distinct from the land-based response after Uri and the large air package used after Pulwama. This approach kept the threshold of conflict low while ensuring operational surprise.

He observed that no military is ever 100 per cent prepared at all times, but India’s clear political direction and joint force coordination allowed decisive action. He also pointed out Pakistan’s reliance on foreign intelligence, which led to inaccurate battlefield assessments, particularly in maritime operations.

The revelations about Kirana Hills and Pakistan’s push for talks reinforce India’s narrative of control during Operation Sindoor. They also highlight the credibility gap in Pakistan’s claims, as its leadership scrambled to seek dialogue while India maintained escalation dominance.

Agencies