A year after Operation Sindoor, former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said an Indian loitering munition, a drone, inadvertently struck Pakistan's Kirana Hills, a key military and nuclear site, after the drone ran low on fuel while searching for radar targets.
General Chauhan told NDTV that the drone was tasked with locating radar installations in and around Sargodha, with Kirana Hills lying roughly 10 kilometres to the north.
ALSO READ | Secret CIA Trip? What's Behind US Military Plane Landing For First Time In Russia
The weapon was designed to loiter for roughly two hours before striking a target if none was detected.
“Bharti had rightly clarified that we did not target Kirana Hills,” General Chauhan said at an event organised by the Vivekananda Centre in New Delhi, referring to retired Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, who served as the Indian Air Force's Director General of Air Operations during Operation Sindoor.
General Chauhan said several loitering munitions had been sent toward Sargodha and Kirana Hills during the operation.
One of the drones, he said, apparently exhausted its fuel and subsequently hit the hill.
He also disclosed that the IAF had received clearance to strike Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir but abandoned the mission because of adverse weather conditions. The target was subsequently changed to Bholari.
ALSO READ | Iran, Oman Propose Temporary Hormuz Navigation Corridor, Plan Mine-Clearing Project
The May 10 strike on the Bholari airbase became one of the most prominent visuals of India's air campaign.
Satellite imagery aired by NDTV showed extensive damage to a hangar, including a large breach in its roof and debris scattered across the adjoining apron, suggesting a precise strike.
NDTV had earlier reported on satellite imagery that documented the extent of the damage inflicted during the operation.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
