Former Indian Navy Commodore Ranjit Rai has backed former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s recent remarks concerning the Kirana Hills area in Pakistan. Rai said Chauhan’s explanation provided further insight into the use of loitering munitions during Operation Sindoor and described the operation as a major success.
Rai, who previously served as the Director of Naval Operations and Intelligence, was speaking to news agency ANI when he reacted to Chauhan’s comments. According to Rai, the former CDS had clearly explained that loitering munitions were used during the 87 hour military operation and that some of them were deployed towards the Sargodha area.
The discussion follows comments made by General Anil Chauhan at an event in New Delhi. Chauhan addressed questions surrounding reports and speculation about whether the Kirana Hills area had been struck during Operation Sindoor.
Chauhan explained that Indian forces had deployed loitering munitions towards Sargodha to search for radar systems in and around the area. He said Kirana Hills is located around 10 kilometres north of Sargodha. According to his explanation, the munitions had a limited flight or loitering period and were designed to search for targets during that period.
If an intended target was not identified within the available flight time, Chauhan said the munition would eventually come down and strike an area. On that basis, he said an Indian munition may have struck one of the hills in the Kirana Hills region.
Importantly, Chauhan’s comments did not describe Kirana Hills as a deliberately selected target. Instead, he explained that the primary objective of the loitering munitions sent towards Sargodha was to search for radar systems.
This distinction is significant because speculation had previously emerged over whether India had intentionally targeted the Kirana Hills area because of claims regarding sensitive Pakistani facilities in the region.
Chauhan’s explanation suggested that any possible impact in the area may have been incidental rather than the result of a deliberate decision to attack the location. He also referred to images circulated by Pakistani media that appeared to show smoke in the vicinity of the hills.
Commodore Ranjit Rai interpreted Chauhan’s remarks as evidence of the effectiveness of Operation Sindoor. Rai particularly highlighted the deployment of loitering munitions and their ability to operate near Sargodha.
Loitering munitions are unmanned systems designed to remain in an area for a period while searching for or awaiting a suitable target. Their use has become increasingly significant in modern military operations because they combine surveillance and strike capabilities.
The discussion about these systems also highlights the changing nature of military operations. Unmanned platforms can provide forces with additional options for surveillance and precision engagement while reducing the need to place personnel directly in certain operational environments.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. India subsequently conducted military strikes against what it described as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The conflict later escalated, including strikes against military facilities, before a ceasefire was reached.
The operation lasted 87 hours and attracted significant international attention. The Indian military operation involved multiple branches of the armed forces and included the use of drones and other weapons systems.
Chauhan’s latest comments have provided additional information about how loitering munitions were used during the operation. His remarks also addressed questions surrounding Sargodha and the Kirana Hills area.
Sargodha is an important military location in Pakistan and is associated with the Mushaf airbase. The Kirana Hills are situated near the Sargodha region. The geographical proximity between the two locations was an important part of Chauhan’s explanation regarding the possible movement of the loitering munition.
Rai said Chauhan’s comments showed that the munitions had travelled towards the Sargodha area and operated within the vicinity. He described the disclosure as significant because it provided an insight into the type of technology used during Operation Sindoor.
However, the exact location and circumstances of any possible impact in the Kirana Hills area remain based on Chauhan’s explanation that the munition must have struck an area there after failing to locate its intended radar target. It should therefore not be presented as confirmation of a deliberate strike on a specific facility.
There had also been earlier statements from Air Marshal A K Bharti, who served as Director General of Air Operations during Operation Sindoor. In May 2025, Bharti had rejected claims that Indian forces had deliberately targeted Kirana Hills. His statement came in response to speculation surrounding the area and reports about alleged nuclear facilities there.
Chauhan’s latest explanation is broadly consistent with the distinction between a deliberate target and a possible unintended impact. His account suggests that the objective was to locate radar systems around Sargodha rather than specifically attack Kirana Hills.
The comments have nevertheless generated renewed interest in the operational capabilities demonstrated during Operation Sindoor. The use of loitering munitions has become an important topic in discussions about modern warfare and the increasing role of unmanned systems.
Rai’s assessment also reflects the view of a former senior military officer rather than an independent confirmation of every operational detail. His comments were made in response to Chauhan’s explanation and focused on the significance of the information revealed about the operation.
The issue is particularly sensitive because the Kirana Hills area has been associated in public reporting with Pakistan’s strategic and military infrastructure. Any claims concerning specific nuclear facilities or military installations therefore require careful attribution and should not be presented as independently verified facts unless supported by authoritative evidence.
The latest discussion also highlights how information about military operations can emerge gradually. Statements made after an operation may provide additional context about planning, weapon systems and objectives that were not publicly discussed during the operation itself.
Chauhan’s remarks have added to the public understanding of the role played by loitering munitions during Operation Sindoor. His explanation indicates that the systems were used to search for radar targets around Sargodha and that their operational endurance played a role in determining where they eventually came down.
Rai has interpreted these developments as demonstrating the success of the operation. He particularly emphasised the ability of Indian forces to deploy unmanned systems towards a strategically important area and conduct operations at considerable distance.
The comments also demonstrate the importance of precision targeting and intelligence gathering in modern military operations. Locating radar systems is an important element of air operations because radar networks can detect aircraft and other airborne threats.
By deploying loitering munitions to search for such systems, military planners can seek to identify and potentially neutralise radar capabilities while maintaining a degree of distance from the target area.
At the same time, Chauhan’s explanation indicates that such systems operate within certain technical limitations. If a munition fails to locate its intended target within its available operating period, it may eventually descend or strike an area without achieving the original objective.
This provides important context to the discussion about Kirana Hills. According to Chauhan, the possible impact there was not necessarily evidence of a deliberate decision to attack the hills.
The renewed discussion comes more than a year after Operation Sindoor and reflects continuing interest in the operation’s planning and execution. Former senior military officials have increasingly discussed aspects of the operation after the immediate conflict ended.
For the public, the latest statements provide additional information about the technologies and operational methods involved. However, military claims and assessments should continue to be distinguished from independently verified information.
The most recent development is therefore that former Navy Commodore Ranjit Rai has endorsed Chauhan’s assessment of Operation Sindoor and highlighted the role of loitering munitions. Chauhan, meanwhile, has explained that an Indian munition sent towards Sargodha to search for radars may have struck an area in Kirana Hills after failing to identify its intended target.
The remarks do not establish that Kirana Hills was deliberately targeted. Instead, they provide an explanation for the possible presence of an impact in the area during the operation.
As the discussion continues, the statements from former defence officials are likely to remain part of the broader assessment of Operation Sindoor, particularly regarding the increasing use of unmanned systems in military operations.