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{{Redirect-distinguish|Operation Cactus|Operation Cactus-Lilly}}
{{Short description|Coup attempt thwarted by India}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = 1988 Maldives coup d'état attempt
| partof = [[Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War|Indian Intervention]] in the [[Sri Lankan civil war]]
| image = IAF IL-76 Hawaii.JPG
| image_size = 300px
| caption = An [[Indian Air Force]] [[Ilyushin Il-76]] transport aircraft of the model used to transport Indian paratroopers to [[Malé]].
| date = 3 November 1988
| place = [[Maldives]], Indian Ocean
| casus = Armed Coup led by PLOTE sought to overthrow the government in Maldives.
| result = Indian/Maldivian government victory
*Coup failed
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|India}} [[India]] {{flagicon|Maldives}} [[Maldives]]
| combatant2 = [[File:Bandera del PLOTE (Tàmils).svg|22px|border]] [[People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam]] {{flagicon|Maldives}} Maldivian rebels
| commander1 = {{flagicon|IND}} [[Ramaswamy Venkataraman|R. Venkataraman]] {{flagicon|India}} [[Rajiv Gandhi]] {{flagicon|India}}Vice-Admiral S.V.V. Gopalachari {{flagicon|India}} Brigadier Farouk Bulsara {{flagicon|India}} Colonel Subhash Joshi {{flagicon|Maldives}} [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom]] {{flagicon|Maldives}} Colonel [[Mohamed Zahir]]
| commander2 = [[File:Bandera del PLOTE (Tàmils).svg|22px|border]] [[Uma Maheswaran]] [[File:Bandera del PLOTE (Tàmils).svg|22px|border]] Wasanti{{KIA}} {{flagicon|Maldives}} Abdullah Luthufi{{POW}} {{flagicon|Maldives}} Sagaru Ahmed Nasir{{POW}} {{flagicon|Maldives}} Ahmed Ismail Manik Sikka{{POW}}
| strength1 = 500 Indian paratroopers 
1,400 [[Maldives National Defense Force|Maldivian National Security Service]]
| strength2 = 100-250 gunmen
| casualties1 = 19 killed (8 NSS), 39 injured (18 NSS), 27 captured.
| casualties2 = 5-11 killed, 75 captured (68 PLOTE, 7 Maldivians).
}}

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 [[Sri Lankan Tamil|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 mercenaries quickly gained control of the capital, including the major government buildings, airport, port, television and radio stations. The intervention by the [[Indian Armed Forces]], codenamed '''Operation Cactus''', defeated the attempted coup.

==Prelude==

{{More citations needed section|date=August 2022}}

Whereas the 1980 and 1983 coup d'état attempts against [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom]]'s presidency were not considered serious, the third coup d'état attempt in November 1988 alarmed the international community.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indda's Major Military & Rescue Operations |isbn=9789386369390 |page=180}}</ref> About 80 armed [[PLOTE]] mercenaries<ref>[http://www.ipcs.org/ipcs/databaseIndex2.jsp?database=1001&country2=Maldives Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002135900/http://www.ipcs.org/ipcs/databaseIndex2.jsp?database=1001&country2=Maldives |date=2 October 2006 }}</ref> landed in the capital [[Malé]] before dawn aboard speedboats from a hijacked Sri Lankan freighter. Disguised as visitors, a similar number had already infiltrated Malé earlier. The mercenaries quickly gained control of the capital, including the major government buildings, airport, port, television and radio stations. The mercenaries then marched towards the [[Muliaage|Presidential Palace]] where [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom|President Gayoom]] was residing with his family. But before they reached the Presidential Palace, President Gayoom was escorted by Maldivian National Security Advisor to the Defense Minister's home. The Defense Minister then escorted the President to a safe house. Meanwhile, the mercenaries had seized the Presidential Palace and managed to take the Maldivian Education Minister as hostage. President Gayoom requested military intervention from [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Pakistan]], but both denied any help, citing a lack of military capabilities. The president then requested [[Singapore]]'s intervention, but Singapore declined, citing the same reasons. After that, he contacted the [[United States]], but was told that it would take [[United States Armed Forces|US forces]] 2–3 days to reach the Maldives from their nearest military base in [[Diego Garcia]], 1000 km away. The president then contacted the [[United Kingdom]], which advised them to seek assistance from [[India]]. Following this, President Gayoom contacted the Indian government for assistance. India swiftly accepted their request and an emergency meeting was arranged at the [[Secretariat Building, New Delhi|Secretariat Building]] in New Delhi. Within 16 hours of the [[SOS]], India was ready to commence their operation.

==Operation Cactus==

[[Rejaul Karim Laskar]], a member of the then-ruling political party in India- [[Indian National Congress]], stated that India's intervention in the attempted coup became necessary as in the absence of Indian intervention, external powers would have been tempted to intervene or even to establish bases in Maldives, which being in [[India]]'s backyard would have been detrimental to India's [[national interest]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Laskar|first1=Rejaul|title=Rajiv Gandhi’s Diplomacy: Historic Significance and Contemporary Relevance|journal=Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist|date=September 2014|volume=2|issue=9|page=47|url=http://www.diplomatist.com/dipom09y2014/article015.html|access-date=8 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161446/http://www.diplomatist.com/dipom09y2014/article015.html|archive-date=21 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> India, therefore, intervened with "Operation Cactus".

The operation started on the night of 3 November 1988, when [[Ilyushin Il-76]] aircraft of the [[Indian Air Force]] airlifted the elements of the [[50th Parachute Brigade (India)|50th Independent Parachute Brigade]], commanded by [[Brigadier]] [[Farukh Bulsara]], the 6th Battalion of the [[Parachute Regiment (India)|Parachute Regiment]] and the [[17 (Parachute) Field Regiment (Zojila & Poongli Bridge)|17th Parachute Field Regiment]] from [[Agra Air Force Station]] and flew them non-stop over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi) to land them over the [[Malé International Airport]] on [[Hulhule Island]]. The [[Indian Army]] paratroopers arrived on Hulhule in nine hours after the appeal from President Gayoom.<ref name="Op Cactus">{{cite web|author=Chordia, AK|date=n.d.|title=Operation Cactus|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1990s/Cactus.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921164330/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1990s/Cactus.html|archive-date=21 September 2009|access-date=26 April 2012|publisher=Bharat-Rakshak.com}}</ref><ref name="Kapoor2002">{{cite book|last=Kapoor|first=Subodh|title=The Indian Encyclopaedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K81vPRQf1A8C&pg=PA5311|year=2002|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=978-81-7755-257-7|pages=5310–11}}</ref>

The Indian paratroopers immediately secured the [[airfield]], crossed over to Malé using commandeered boats and rescued President Gayoom. The paratroopers restored control of the capital to President Gayoom's government within hours. Some of the mercenaries fled toward Sri Lanka 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. The [[Indian Navy]] frigates ''[[INS Godavari (F20)|Godavari]]'' and ''[[INS Betwa (F39)|Betwa]]'' intercepted the freighter off the Sri Lankan coast, and captured the mercenaries. The swift intervention by the Indian military and accurate intelligence successfully quelled the attempted coup d'état in the island nation.<ref name="Op Cactus1" />

==Reaction==
India received international praise for the operation. United States President [[Ronald Reagan]] expressed his appreciation for India's action, calling it "a valuable contribution to regional stability". British Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] reportedly commented, "Thank God for India: President Gayoom's government has been saved". But the intervention nevertheless caused some disquiet among India's neighbours in South Asia.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Brewster|url= http://pragati.nationalinterest.in/2014/04/operation-cactus-indias-1988-intervention-in-the-maldives/|title= Operation Cactus: India’s 1988 Intervention in the Maldives. Retrieved 14 August 2014}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
In July 1989, India repatriated the mercenaries captured on board the hijacked freighter to [[Maldives]] to stand trial. President Gayoom commuted the death sentences passed against them to life imprisonment under Indian pressure.<ref>[http://www.photius.com/countries/madagascar/government/madagascar_government_security_concerns.html Madagascar Security Concerns – Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System]</ref>

The 1988 coup d'état had been headed by a once prominent Maldivian businessperson named Abdullah Luthufi, who was operating a farm on [[Sri Lanka]]. Former Maldivian President [[Ibrahim Nasir]] was accused, but denied any involvement in the coup d'état. In fact, in July 1990, President Gayoom officially pardoned Nasir in absentia in recognition of his role in obtaining [[Maldives]]' independence.<ref name="Op Cactus1">[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1988Cactus/] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011095022/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1988Cactus/ |date=11 October 2010 }}</ref>

The operation also strengthened [[Indo-Maldivian relations]] as a result of the successful restoration of the Gayoom government.

==Published accounts==
===Documentaries===
''Operation Cactus : How India Averted Maldives Crisis in 1988'' (2018) is a [[TV documentary]] which premièred on Veer by [[Discovery Channel]] series, Battle Ops.<ref name="VeerTV">{{cite news|title=This R-Day, get ready for Discovery channel's 'Battle Ops'|url=http://www.thehindu.com/society/discovery-channels-new-series-battle-ops-on-indias-iconic-military-operations/article22520490.ece|access-date=22 April 2018|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=25 January 2018}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Parachute Regiment (India)]]
* [[Mohamed Zahir]]
* [[Moosa Ali Jaleel]]
* [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]]
* [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Maldives topics}}
{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}
{{Sri Lankan Civil War graphical timeline}}
{{Military of India}}
{{Maldives security forces}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1988 Maldives Coup D'etat}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Conflicts in 1988, Attempted coups d'état, Wars involving the Maldives, India–Maldives relations, November 1988 events in Asia
|description=
}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 1988]]
[[Category:Wars involving India|Maldives coup d'état, 1988]]
[[Category:History of the Indian Air Force|Maldives coup d'état, 1988]]
[[Category:1980s coups d'état and coup attempts|Maldives]]
[[Category:1988 in India|Maldives Coup, 1988]]
[[Category:Attempted coups d'état]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Maldives]]
[[Category:India–Maldives relations]]
[[Category:Operations involving Indian special forces|Maldives coup d'état, 1988]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles involving India|Maldives coup d'état, 1988]]
[[Category:November 1988 events in Asia]]

1988 Maldives coup d'état attempt - Revision history

MetaBOT at 11:23, 13 July 2023