Operation Pawan
Encyclopedia
Operation Pawan was the codename assigned to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Force
(IPKF) to take control of Jaffna
from the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known as the Tamil Tigers), in late 1987 to enforce the disarmament of the LTTE as a part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. In brutal fighting lasting about three weeks, the IPKF took control of the Jaffna
Peninsula from the LTTE, something that the Sri Lankan army had tried and failed to achieve for several years. Supported by Indian Army tanks, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery, the IPKF routed the LTTE, at the cost of 214 soldiers.
captured an LTTE boat off Point Pedro
with seventeen Tigers, including some high-profile leaders of the movement, onboard. The Colombo government alleged the boat was involved in smuggling arms across the Palk Strait
and on these grounds denied immunity to the captured Tiger rebels. The LTTE denied this, claiming the rebels' movements were in accordance with the truce, being in the process of transferring documents for shifting the Tigers Headquarters from Madras to Jaffna. The Sri Lankan government intended to bring a number of the rebels captured, including Pulendran, Kumarappa and others, to trial in Colombo for allegedly masterminding the massacre of a hundred and fifty civilians.
The Tigers, who were at the time still in negotiations with the Indian authorities, appealed for enforcement of protection by the IPKF. The rebels were at this time in IPKF custody at Palay Airbase pending transfer to the Sri Lankan authorities. Although the Indian authorities insist that they had explained the possible repercussions of such an action on the fragile truce and exerted considerable pressure on the Sri Lankan authorities to desist from proceeding, the IPKF ultimately withdrew, allowing the Sri Lankan forces to proceed with transferring the captured rebels to Colombo. However, the detainees attempted mass suicide
by swallowing cyanide
—a common LTTE practice when faced with imminent capture. This singular event marked a total break-down of the truce. The night of 5 October saw the large scale slaughter of Sinhalese people who had returned to Jaffna, including eight soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army who were at the time being held hostage by the LTTE. This coincided with armed confrontations between the Tiger Cadres and the Indian troops in and around Jaffna.
On 8 October, the LTTE carried out a number of mortar attacks and ambushes on the IPKF. In the face of this detoriating situation, President Jayawardene threatened the visiting Indian Defence Minister
and the Chief of the Army Staff
with re-deploying the Sri Lankan Army to protect Sinhala interests if the IPKF did not take action against the LTTE. The Indian government, already accused of inaction in the face of a failing accord, was compelled to imposing peace in Jaffna by force.
It was declared on 9 October that the IPKF was to launch a final campaign against the LTTE. This was the point of no return.
The first IPKF operation was launched on 9 October 1987. Codenamed Operation Pawan (Hindi for Wind), it was expected to neutralise the LTTE operational capability in and around Jaffna. This included the capture or neutralisation of the LTTE's chain of command which was expected to leave the rebel movement directionless in the face of the impending assault on the LTTE strongholds by the IPKF.
On the nights of 9 and 10 October, the IPKF raided and captured the LTTE radio station at Tavadi and TV station at Kokkuvil
, while the printing presses of two LTTE sponsored newspapers were destroyed. These operations also led to the capture of nearly two hundred Tiger rebels. In retaliation, the LTTE ambushed a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) convoy near Tellipallai, killing four Jawans, as well as an IPKF post at Tellipallai with automatic weapons and mortar fire on an IPKF post. Later that day, the Tigers hijacked a 10 Para Commando jeep on patrol, killing all five occupants.
On 10 October, the Indian 91st Brigade, consisting of three battalions and led by Brigadier J. Ralli, also began its push into Jaffna.
on the Jaffna University headquarters of the LTTE by a detachment of Indian Para Commandos
and Sikh LI (Light Infantry) on the night of 12 October. This was planned as a quick commando raid to capture the top LTTE leadership and local commanders who, according to Indian Intelligence, were supposed to be in the building at the time; and was thus expected to cut short the Battle for Jaffna. The plan was to land a company of 70 men from 10 Para Cdo. to secure the football field. A second wave was to follow with a company of the 13th Sikh LI. The heliborne troops were to link up with 4/5 Gorkhas of 72 Brigade and the Sikh LI troops advancing on the ground.
The operation ended in disaster as the LTTE, having intercepted IPKF radio transmissions, set up an ambush. The helidropped troops came under intense fire from LTTE positions, forcing the Mi-8
helicopters to abandon the insertion midway through the operation. During the ensuing battle, which lasted throughout the night, twenty nine of the entire Sikh LI contingent of thirty troops, and six of the one hundred and twenty commandos, were killed before detachments of the 65th Armoured Regiment were able to extract the Paras from their defensive positions. The Sikh LI's radioman
was shot by LTTE snipers early on, the unit lost contact with the Indian High Command at Palay Air base. The sole survivor of the Sikh LI detachment, Sepoy Gora Singh, was taken prisoner by the Tigers under the command of Pawan Kashyap. It was not until his subsequent release during the conflict that the fate of the unit was known.
s (improvised explosive devices) which could be remotely detonated from over a kilometre away. During this time, Eastern Command of the Indian Navy
, supported by the Coast Guard
was key in establishing a 300 miles (482.8 km) long blockade around northern Sri Lanka from October 1987 to disrupt the Tigers' supply and communication routes. It was at about this time that the MARCOS
forces (Marine commandos) of the Indian Navy first went into action. Detachments of the IMSF (Indian Marine Special Forces, as the MARCOS was then known), along with a battalion of the 340th Independent Brigade of the Indian Army
, provided beach reconnaissance
around Jaffna and Batticaloa
.
The 340th Brigade was one of the first IPKF units to be deployed, and served until operations in the Trincomalee
area were complete. The IMSF, at this time, also provided security patrols along the coast road west of Jaffna until the 41st Brigade took charge in November.
On October 15/16, the IPKF advance stopped its advance to stabilize the front. Palay, the major operations headquarters for the 54th Infantry Division, was also secured from Tiger attacks. At this time the Indian Air Force
undertook a massive airlift to reinforce the 91st with three brigades and heavy equipment, including T-72
tanks and BMP-1 fighting vehicles
. Air traffic controllers worked round the clock to fly-in troops and equipment. In addition, Indian Airlines is said to have contributed, with its Boeing 737
s transporting troops. This short interval also saw the introduction of Mi-8
medium helicopters and the first use of the Mi-25 gunships of No. 125 Sqn, along with HAL Cheetah light helicopters. By end of October the IAF had flown 2200 tactical transport and 800 helicopter sorties.
Now reinforced, the IPKF resumed the battle for Jaffna. The tanks and armoured fighting vehicles are said to have been effective protection against anti-personnel mine
s. However, even with this defence, the IPKF advance was torturous in the face of the Tigers' sniper fire. They would take-up positions on rooftops, in trees and even in coconut
palm
s. Equipped with powerful telescopic infra-red sight
s, they were able to selectively take out officers and radiomen, taking a heavy toll and bringing the advance to a grinding halt. Helicopters flying below 2000 feet were also vulnerable, with at least five being shot at and damaged before the Mi-25s took up their offensive role. The IPKF adapted quickly, with its officers taking off the pip
s of their ranks, wearing slouch hat
s and carrying oversize back packs. However, as the advance got bogged down, the battalions, instead of maneuvering around the defenders, were forced to commit more troops under orders from New Delhi
. In addition, the LTTE increasingly began to deploy anti-tank mine
s, taking a further heavy toll on IPKF forces. A frustrated IPKF cut off the power to Jaffna in an attempt to counter this. IPKF communication lines were extensively mined by the LTTE, which further compounded the sometimes perilous situations that the Indian troops faced. It was not before the IMSF commandos broke out of the besieged Jaffna port and cleared the heavily mined Navanturai Coastal Road, that a crucial link-up between 1 Maratha Light Infantry
in Jaffna fort and the advancing troops of 41st Brigade could be established that secured the Nallur area. On 21 October, the commandos conducted a successful amphibious raid against a LTTE base at Guru Nagar. It was also toward the end of the Jaffna campaign that the IPKF started the use of Mi-25s for close air support when they flew against LTTE positions in Chavakacheri village on 23 October 1987.
This was only the beginning of the IPKF's three year campaign to neutralise the LTTE. By the time Jaffna fell, the LTTE had merely exfiltrated out of the town, moving south to the jungles of Vavuniya
. Its hard core fighters moved to the safety of the jungle by skirting the Jaffna coast from Point Pedro to Elephant Pass, sheltered by the criss-cross of waterways in the impenetrable Nittkaikulam jungle. In the Jaffna sector, although the LTTE had shifted out of the town itself, it nevertheless harassed the 54th Division's efforts to consolidate its positions using IEDs and anti-personnel mines. In turn, the IPKF was able to disrupt the LTTE's activities with regular raids that led to the capture of large caches of rebel weaponry. Brigadier Manjit Singh was later replaced by Brigadier JS Dhillon, under whom the 54th underwent considerable modifications of its operations routine. Small highly mobile units became the staple of the 54th's operations.
The IPKF at this point still consisted mostly of an overstretched 54th Division. Following the Jaffna operation, the 36th Infantry Division, along with two additional brigades, took over the Vavuniya
sector and the Trincomalee
-Batticaloa
axis. This relieved the 54th Division which, led by Brigadier Manjit Singh, could now focus on consolidating the Jaffna sector. The 4th Mountain Division and the 57th Infantry Division were deployed still later in February 1988 to take charge of Vanni
and Batticaloa
from the 36th.
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990...
(IPKF) to take control of Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
from the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known as the Tamil Tigers), in late 1987 to enforce the disarmament of the LTTE as a part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. In brutal fighting lasting about three weeks, the IPKF took control of the Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
Peninsula from the LTTE, something that the Sri Lankan army had tried and failed to achieve for several years. Supported by Indian Army tanks, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery, the IPKF routed the LTTE, at the cost of 214 soldiers.
Background
On 4 October 1987, the Sri Lankan NavySri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
captured an LTTE boat off Point Pedro
Point Pedro
Point Pedro is the northernmost town of the island of Sri Lanka. The agriculturally active area around Point Pedro with fertile calcic red latosols is known for its cotton production. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a 3-mile-broad beach with huge sand dunes up to 100 feet height, extending...
with seventeen Tigers, including some high-profile leaders of the movement, onboard. The Colombo government alleged the boat was involved in smuggling arms across the Palk Strait
Palk Strait
Palk Strait is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Mannar district of the Northern Province of the island nation of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Palk Bay and thence with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest. The strait is wide. Several...
and on these grounds denied immunity to the captured Tiger rebels. The LTTE denied this, claiming the rebels' movements were in accordance with the truce, being in the process of transferring documents for shifting the Tigers Headquarters from Madras to Jaffna. The Sri Lankan government intended to bring a number of the rebels captured, including Pulendran, Kumarappa and others, to trial in Colombo for allegedly masterminding the massacre of a hundred and fifty civilians.
The Tigers, who were at the time still in negotiations with the Indian authorities, appealed for enforcement of protection by the IPKF. The rebels were at this time in IPKF custody at Palay Airbase pending transfer to the Sri Lankan authorities. Although the Indian authorities insist that they had explained the possible repercussions of such an action on the fragile truce and exerted considerable pressure on the Sri Lankan authorities to desist from proceeding, the IPKF ultimately withdrew, allowing the Sri Lankan forces to proceed with transferring the captured rebels to Colombo. However, the detainees attempted mass suicide
Mass suicide
- Examples :Mass suicide sometimes occurs in religious or cultic settings. Defeated groups may resort to mass suicide rather than being captured. Suicide pacts are a form of mass suicide unconnected to cults or war that are sometimes planned or carried out by small groups of frustrated people...
by swallowing cyanide
1987 Mass Suicide of Tamil Tigers
On 5 October 1987, 12 Tamil Tigers who were taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy committed suicide. They were brought to Sri Lankan Army base in Palali with 5 other unrelated individuals...
—a common LTTE practice when faced with imminent capture. This singular event marked a total break-down of the truce. The night of 5 October saw the large scale slaughter of Sinhalese people who had returned to Jaffna, including eight soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army who were at the time being held hostage by the LTTE. This coincided with armed confrontations between the Tiger Cadres and the Indian troops in and around Jaffna.
On 8 October, the LTTE carried out a number of mortar attacks and ambushes on the IPKF. In the face of this detoriating situation, President Jayawardene threatened the visiting Indian Defence Minister
Defence Minister of India
The Ministry of Defence is India's federal department allocated the largest level of budgetary resources and charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces.The Indian Armed Forces ; the...
and the Chief of the Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army cables and communication....
with re-deploying the Sri Lankan Army to protect Sinhala interests if the IPKF did not take action against the LTTE. The Indian government, already accused of inaction in the face of a failing accord, was compelled to imposing peace in Jaffna by force.
Operation Pawan
By 7 October, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), had issued directives to the IPKF, laying down its operational parameters. It was to:- Seize/destroy LTTE radio and TV transmission equipment in the Jaffna Peninsula
- Seize or jam the LTTE communications network
- Carry out raids on LTTE camps, caches and strongpoints
- Detaine and interrogate personnel manning LTTE offices in the East to gain information. In case of resistance, force to be used
- Actions to further consolidate the hold of the IPKF in the region
It was declared on 9 October that the IPKF was to launch a final campaign against the LTTE. This was the point of no return.
The first IPKF operation was launched on 9 October 1987. Codenamed Operation Pawan (Hindi for Wind), it was expected to neutralise the LTTE operational capability in and around Jaffna. This included the capture or neutralisation of the LTTE's chain of command which was expected to leave the rebel movement directionless in the face of the impending assault on the LTTE strongholds by the IPKF.
On the nights of 9 and 10 October, the IPKF raided and captured the LTTE radio station at Tavadi and TV station at Kokkuvil
Kokkuvil
Kokkuvil is a small town in the North Sri Lankan city of Jaffna....
, while the printing presses of two LTTE sponsored newspapers were destroyed. These operations also led to the capture of nearly two hundred Tiger rebels. In retaliation, the LTTE ambushed a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) convoy near Tellipallai, killing four Jawans, as well as an IPKF post at Tellipallai with automatic weapons and mortar fire on an IPKF post. Later that day, the Tigers hijacked a 10 Para Commando jeep on patrol, killing all five occupants.
On 10 October, the Indian 91st Brigade, consisting of three battalions and led by Brigadier J. Ralli, also began its push into Jaffna.
The Jaffna University Helidrop
The first battle signalling the real beginning of Operation Pawan was the Heliborne assaultJaffna University Helidrop
The Jaffna University Helidrop was the first of the operations launched by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces aimed at disarming the Tamil Tigers by force and securing the town of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in the opening stages of Operation Pawan during the active Indian mediation in the Sri Lankan Civil War...
on the Jaffna University headquarters of the LTTE by a detachment of Indian Para Commandos
Para Commandos
The Para Commandos are a special forces unit of the Indian Army. Formed in 1966, the Para Commandos are the largest and most important part of the Special Forces of India...
and Sikh LI (Light Infantry) on the night of 12 October. This was planned as a quick commando raid to capture the top LTTE leadership and local commanders who, according to Indian Intelligence, were supposed to be in the building at the time; and was thus expected to cut short the Battle for Jaffna. The plan was to land a company of 70 men from 10 Para Cdo. to secure the football field. A second wave was to follow with a company of the 13th Sikh LI. The heliborne troops were to link up with 4/5 Gorkhas of 72 Brigade and the Sikh LI troops advancing on the ground.
The operation ended in disaster as the LTTE, having intercepted IPKF radio transmissions, set up an ambush. The helidropped troops came under intense fire from LTTE positions, forcing the Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
helicopters to abandon the insertion midway through the operation. During the ensuing battle, which lasted throughout the night, twenty nine of the entire Sikh LI contingent of thirty troops, and six of the one hundred and twenty commandos, were killed before detachments of the 65th Armoured Regiment were able to extract the Paras from their defensive positions. The Sikh LI's radioman
Radioman
Radioman was a rating for United States Navy and United States Coast Guard enlisted personnel, specializing in communications technology.-History of the rating:...
was shot by LTTE snipers early on, the unit lost contact with the Indian High Command at Palay Air base. The sole survivor of the Sikh LI detachment, Sepoy Gora Singh, was taken prisoner by the Tigers under the command of Pawan Kashyap. It was not until his subsequent release during the conflict that the fate of the unit was known.
Battle for Jaffna
As the battle for Jaffna progressed, the IPKF advance came under intense and vicious opposition from the Tigers. Fighting in built-up and an as-yet unevacuated Jaffna, the Indian High command insists that the slow advance was, in addition to Tiger resistance, more a result of reluctance on the part of the IPKF to use heavy weaponry to clear LTTE defences. Furthermore, all the approach roads had been laced with Claymore mines or explosives by the Tigers in its years of fighting with the Sri Lankan army. The Tigers also made extensive use of IEDImprovised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s (improvised explosive devices) which could be remotely detonated from over a kilometre away. During this time, Eastern Command of the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
, supported by the Coast Guard
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters....
was key in establishing a 300 miles (482.8 km) long blockade around northern Sri Lanka from October 1987 to disrupt the Tigers' supply and communication routes. It was at about this time that the MARCOS
MARCOS (India)
MARCOS is an elite special operations unit of the Indian Navy. "MARCOS" is short for "Marine Commandos"....
forces (Marine commandos) of the Indian Navy first went into action. Detachments of the IMSF (Indian Marine Special Forces, as the MARCOS was then known), along with a battalion of the 340th Independent Brigade of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, provided beach reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
around Jaffna and Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
.
The 340th Brigade was one of the first IPKF units to be deployed, and served until operations in the Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
area were complete. The IMSF, at this time, also provided security patrols along the coast road west of Jaffna until the 41st Brigade took charge in November.
On October 15/16, the IPKF advance stopped its advance to stabilize the front. Palay, the major operations headquarters for the 54th Infantry Division, was also secured from Tiger attacks. At this time the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
undertook a massive airlift to reinforce the 91st with three brigades and heavy equipment, including T-72
T-72
The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A...
tanks and BMP-1 fighting vehicles
BMP-1
The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...
. Air traffic controllers worked round the clock to fly-in troops and equipment. In addition, Indian Airlines is said to have contributed, with its Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s transporting troops. This short interval also saw the introduction of Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
medium helicopters and the first use of the Mi-25 gunships of No. 125 Sqn, along with HAL Cheetah light helicopters. By end of October the IAF had flown 2200 tactical transport and 800 helicopter sorties.
Now reinforced, the IPKF resumed the battle for Jaffna. The tanks and armoured fighting vehicles are said to have been effective protection against anti-personnel mine
Anti-personnel mine
Anti-personnel mines are a form of land mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles...
s. However, even with this defence, the IPKF advance was torturous in the face of the Tigers' sniper fire. They would take-up positions on rooftops, in trees and even in coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
s. Equipped with powerful telescopic infra-red sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s, they were able to selectively take out officers and radiomen, taking a heavy toll and bringing the advance to a grinding halt. Helicopters flying below 2000 feet were also vulnerable, with at least five being shot at and damaged before the Mi-25s took up their offensive role. The IPKF adapted quickly, with its officers taking off the pip
Pip
-Biology and medicine:* Phosphatidylinositol phosphate* Prolactin-induced protein* Proximal interphalangeal joint* Patient intelligence panel-Business and finance:* Percentage in point , a currency exchange rate fluctuation...
s of their ranks, wearing slouch hat
Slouch hat
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain,...
s and carrying oversize back packs. However, as the advance got bogged down, the battalions, instead of maneuvering around the defenders, were forced to commit more troops under orders from New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. In addition, the LTTE increasingly began to deploy anti-tank mine
Anti-tank mine
An anti-tank mine, , is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles....
s, taking a further heavy toll on IPKF forces. A frustrated IPKF cut off the power to Jaffna in an attempt to counter this. IPKF communication lines were extensively mined by the LTTE, which further compounded the sometimes perilous situations that the Indian troops faced. It was not before the IMSF commandos broke out of the besieged Jaffna port and cleared the heavily mined Navanturai Coastal Road, that a crucial link-up between 1 Maratha Light Infantry
Maratha Light Infantry
The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army....
in Jaffna fort and the advancing troops of 41st Brigade could be established that secured the Nallur area. On 21 October, the commandos conducted a successful amphibious raid against a LTTE base at Guru Nagar. It was also toward the end of the Jaffna campaign that the IPKF started the use of Mi-25s for close air support when they flew against LTTE positions in Chavakacheri village on 23 October 1987.
Culmination
Ultimately however, after two weeks of bitter fighting, the IPKF had wrested control of Jaffna and other major cities from the LTTE, but operations were to continue well into November, with major operations coming to an end with the fall of Jaffna Fort on 28 November. Throughout the duration of Operation Pawan, the casualties suffered by the IPKF had been put at varying numbers between 600 and 1,200. In addition to the LTTE's defensive operations alluded to above, the IPKF's problems were compounded by the fact that the Tigers, using classic guerrilla tactics, blended in with the local population. The IPKF also came face-to- face with child soldiers of the LTTE, something it had not expected.This was only the beginning of the IPKF's three year campaign to neutralise the LTTE. By the time Jaffna fell, the LTTE had merely exfiltrated out of the town, moving south to the jungles of Vavuniya
Vavuniya
Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka. This town is situated in the Northern Province. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni....
. Its hard core fighters moved to the safety of the jungle by skirting the Jaffna coast from Point Pedro to Elephant Pass, sheltered by the criss-cross of waterways in the impenetrable Nittkaikulam jungle. In the Jaffna sector, although the LTTE had shifted out of the town itself, it nevertheless harassed the 54th Division's efforts to consolidate its positions using IEDs and anti-personnel mines. In turn, the IPKF was able to disrupt the LTTE's activities with regular raids that led to the capture of large caches of rebel weaponry. Brigadier Manjit Singh was later replaced by Brigadier JS Dhillon, under whom the 54th underwent considerable modifications of its operations routine. Small highly mobile units became the staple of the 54th's operations.
The IPKF at this point still consisted mostly of an overstretched 54th Division. Following the Jaffna operation, the 36th Infantry Division, along with two additional brigades, took over the Vavuniya
Vavuniya
Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka. This town is situated in the Northern Province. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni....
sector and the Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
-Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
axis. This relieved the 54th Division which, led by Brigadier Manjit Singh, could now focus on consolidating the Jaffna sector. The 4th Mountain Division and the 57th Infantry Division were deployed still later in February 1988 to take charge of Vanni
Vanni (Sri Lanka)
The Vanni is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately 7,650 km2...
and Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
from the 36th.
See also
- List of Sri Lankan Civil War battles
- Thileepan
- Annai Poopathy
- Jaffna hospital massacreJaffna hospital massacreThe Jaffna hospital massacre happened on October 21 and 22, 1987 during the Sri Lankan Civil War, when soldiers of the Indian Army entered the premises of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, an island nation in South Asia, and killed about 68–70 patients, nurses, doctors and other...
- 1989 Valvettiturai massacre1989 Valvettiturai massacre1989 Valvettiturai massacre occurred on August 2 and 3, 1989 in the small coastal town of Valvettiturai, on the Jaffna Peninsula in Sri Lanka. Approximately 64 minority Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were killed by soldiers belonging to the Indian Peace Keeping Force. The massacre followed an attack...