Ex-CDS says loitering munition likely hit Kirana Hills accidentally

Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has revealed that an Indian loitering munition, running low on fuel during Operation Sindoor, likely struck Pakistan’s Kirana Hills, a site associated with nuclear facilities, in an unintended impact. Speaking at an event in New Delhi on August 25, 2026, Chauhan clarified that the munition was part of a mission targeting radar installations near the Sargodha airbase and not an intended strike on the hills themselves.

Chauhan explained that several loitering munitions had been deployed ahead of strikes on Pakistani airbases to seek out radar sites around Sargodha. These munitions have an operational life of approximately two hours. If they do not locate a target within that window, they come down and strike an available location. “It must have come and hit one of those hills,” Chauhan said, addressing persistent questions about smoke observed rising from Kirana Hills, which is about 10 kilometers north of Sargodha. This explanation aligns with prior statements from former Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, who had stated on May 12, 2025, that India did not knowingly target the nuclear facility.