Indian Peace Keeping Force
| Indian Peace Keeping Force भारतीय शान्ति सेना |
|
|---|---|
| Active | July 1987 – March 1990 |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Allegiance |
 India |
| Branch |
Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force |
| Role |
Peacekeeping Counterinsurgency Special operations |
| Size | 100,000 (peak) |
| Engagements |
Operation Pawan Operation Viraat Operation Trishul Operation Checkmate |
| Decorations | One Param Vir Chakra Six Maha Vir Chakras |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lieutenant General Depinder Singh Major General Harkirat Singh (General Officer Commanding) Lieutenant General S.C. Sardeshpande Lieutenant General A.R. Kalkat Gp.Capt. M.P Premi VrC, VM IAF |
Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lankan Civil War between militant Sri Lankan Tamil nationalists such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military.
The main task of the IPKF was to disarm the different militant groups, not just the LTTE. It was to be quickly followed by the formation of an Interim Administrative Council. These were the tasks as per the terms of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, signed at the behest of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Given the escalation of the conflict in Sri Lanka, and with the pouring of refugees into India, Gandhi took the decisive step to push this accord through. The IPKF was inducted into Sri Lanka on the request of Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayewardene under the terms of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
The force was initially not expected to be involved in any significant combat by the Indian High Command. However, within a few months, the IPKF became embroiled in battle with the LTTE to enforce peace. The differences started with LTTE trying to dominate the Interim Administrative Council, and also refusing to disarm, which was a pre-condition to enforce peace in the island. Soon, these differences led to the LTTE attacking the IPKF, at which point the IPKF decided to disarm the LTTE militants, by force if required. In the two years it was in northern Sri Lanka, the IPKF launched a number of combat operations aimed at destroying the LTTE-led insurgency. Given LTTE's tactics in guerrilla warfare and using women and child soldiers to fight battles, it soon escalated into repeated skirmishes between the IPKF and LTTE.
The IPKF began withdrawing from Sri Lanka in 1989, following the election of the V. P. Singh government in India and on the request of the newly elected Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa. The last IPKF contingents left Sri Lanka in March 1990.
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