1988 Maldives coup attempt
Coup attempt thwarted by India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Operation Cactus" redirects here. Not to be confused with Operation Cactus-Lilly.
The 1988 Maldives coup d'état attempt was by a group of Maldivians led by businessman Abdullah Luthufi and assisted by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), to overthrow the government in the island republic of Maldives. The attempt was thwarted with Indian assistance in Operation Cactus.
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Quick Facts Date, Location ...
1988 Maldives coup d'état attempt | |||||||
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Part of Indian Intervention in the Sri Lankan civil war | |||||||
Indian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 planes like this one were used in Cactus. (This image was taken at an unrelated location in Hawaii, United States decades after 1988.) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
India Maldives |
People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam Maldivian rebels | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
R. Venkataraman Rajiv Gandhi Vice-Admiral S.V.V. Gopalachari Brigadier Farouk Bulsara Colonel Subhash Joshi Maumoon Abdul Gayoom |
Uma Maheswaran Wasanti † Abdullah Luthufi (POW) Sagaru Ahmed Nasir (POW) Ahmed Ismail Manik Sikka (POW) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
500 Indian paratroopers Maldivian National Security Service | 80–100 gunmen | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
19 killed (8 NSS), 39 injured (18 NSS). 4 hostage killed, 3 hostage unaccounted for | Several mercenaries were killed and some were captured. 27 hostage taken, 20 were retrieved. 4 killed and the other 3 unknown. |
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