1988 Maldives : Operation Cactus

[ROUDRAM]

[size=7]WE do not overthrow legitimately elected Govts , Instead we save them[/size]


The [b]1988 Maldives coup d'état[/b], whose rescue efforts were code-named [b]Operation Sandhya[/b] by the Indian armed forces, was the attempt by a group of [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldivians"]Maldivians[/url] led by Abdullah Luthufi and assisted by about 80 armed mercenaries of a [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Tamil"]Tamil[/url]secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Liberation_Organisation_of_Tamil_Eelam"]People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam[/url] (PLOTE), to overthrow the government of the island republic of [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives"]Maldives[/url]. The coup d'état failed after [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_military"]Indian forces[/url] were invited by the Maldivian government to intervene.



[b] Operation Cactus[/b]

The operation started on the night of November 3, 1988, when [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76"]Ilyushin Il-76[/url] aircraft of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Air_Force"]Indian Air Force[/url] airlifted a [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battalion"]battalion[/url] of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_Regiment_(India)"]Parachute Regiment[/url] from [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_Air_Force_Station"]Agra Air Force Station[/url] and flew them non-stop over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi) to air-drop them over the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%A9_International_Airport"]Malé International Airport[/url] on [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulhule_Island"]Hulhule Island[/url]. The [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Army"]Indian Army[/url] paratroopers arrived on Hulhule less than 12 hours after the appeal from President Gayoom.

The Indian paratroopers immediately secured the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airfield"]airfield[/url] and restored control of the capital to President Gayoom's government within hours. Some of the mercenaries fled toward [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka"]Sri Lanka[/url] in a hijacked freighter. Those unable to reach the ship in time were quickly rounded up and handed over to the Maldives government. Nineteen people reportedly died in the fighting, most of them mercenaries. The dead included two hostages killed by the mercenaries. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Navy"]Indian Navy[/url] frigates, [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Godavari_(F20)"][i]INS Godavari[/i][/url] and[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Betwa_(F39)"][i]INS Betwa[/i][/url] intercepted the freighter off the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka"]Sri Lankan[/url] coast, and captured the mercenaries. Swift operation by the military and precise intelligence information successfully quelled the attempted coup d'état in the island nation.

[ROUDRAM]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIH1Up4aek"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIH1Up4aek[/url]

[Maximus]

.....interesting

[Ranga_The_Donga]

Gud one...

[NaniMAN]

gud post...

I think its the same intention behind sending Peace Keeping force to SriLanka by Rajeev Gandhi.... But it backfired, as SL's govt didnt pacify the frustation of native Tamils

[cinderella man]

GP

[Hitman]