Anil Chauhan Reveals Pakistan Intelligence Failures During Operation Sindoor

Former Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan disclosed significant operational and intelligence failures by the Pakistan Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor. Speaking at the VIMARSH event, Chauhan stated that Pakistan was blind to the results of its own strikes and attempted to purchase commercial satellite imagery from Chinese firms to establish damage. He further revealed that Pakistani maritime intelligence was starkly inaccurate, misplacing an Indian carrier battle group by 100 to 300 nautical miles due to a reliance on flawed foreign sources.

Chauhan clarified that an Indian loitering munition inadvertently struck the Kirana Hills, a site housing Pakistani nuclear facilities, after its operational lifetime expired while searching for radar targets near Sargodha. This admission contradicts previous statements by Air Marshal AK Bharti, who had denied that India hit targets in that area. Additionally, Chauhan noted that bad weather forced the Indian Air Force to shift a target from Skardu to Bholari.

Addressing the end of the conflict, Chauhan rejected claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that the United States brokered the May 10, 2025, ceasefire through threats of 250 percent trade tariffs. Chauhan asserted the agreement was reached directly between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan, suggesting the U.S. learned of the deal via leaks from the Pakistani side. Operation Sindoor was originally launched on May 7, 2025, following a terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.