Operation Khukri

Operation Khukri
Part of Sierra Leone Civil War
Date 13–16 July 2000 Location Sierra Leone Result Besieged UN Forces extracted Freetown successfully defended against RUF attack
Belligerents
UNAMSIL India United Kingdom Ghana Nigeria	Revolutionary United Front
Commanders and leaders
Lt. General Nirmal Chand Vij (Director General Military Operations) Major General V.K. Jetley Colonel Satish Kumar (Commanding Officer of 5/8 Gurkha Rifles) Group Captain Bijender Singh Siwach
Strength
Approximately 2000-2500 troops Ground units and Airborne units 223 troops of 5/8th Gorkha Rifles besieged at Kailahun Approximately six companies of riflemen of the 5/8th Gorkha Rifles at Daru, elements of 14th Mechanised Infantry Battalion One Quick Reaction Company of Mechanised Infantry and Paracommandos 18th Grenadiers QRC of Mechanised Infantry One Company of engineers 2 Para (SF) Several Mortars and one Light Field Gun Aircraft 3 Mil Mi-35s 8 Mil Mi-8s 2 HAL Chetaks 2 Chinooks 1 C-130 Hercules Reserves 2 Companies of the Ghana Army Two Companies of the Nigerian Army	Approximately 2000-5000 troops divided into 5 battalions
Casualties and losses
One death, Havildar Krishan Kumar of 14 Mechanised Infantry Several injuries Several injuries due to shrapnel wounds, 33 men suffering from illness due to siege One vehicle destroyed	Several hundred foot soldiers dead or wounded.

UNAMSIL

Approximately 2000-2500 troops

One death, Havildar Krishan Kumar of 14 Mechanised Infantry Several injuries

Operation Khukri was a multinational operation launched in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), involving India, Ghana, Britain and Nigeria. The aim of the operation was to break the two-month-long siege laid by armed cadres of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) around two companies of 5/8th Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion Group at Kailahun by effecting a fighting breakout and redeploying them with the main battalion at Daru.

The Indian 5/8th Gorkha Rifles, 14th Mechanised Infantry and elements of the 23rd Mechanised Infantry, together designated as INDBATT-1, had been sent to Sierra Leone to aid the Government in the disarmament of the RUF rebels. Two rifle companies had been kept as a Quick Reaction Force. Elements of the 9th Para (SF), were also included.

By mid-April 2000, two of the companies of INDBATT-1 were deployed in Kailahun, while the rest were deployed in Daru. On May 1, some elements of the RUF attacked and overran the KENBATT forces at Makeni. Due to a communication gap, the INDBATT-1 weren't informed, and some of their commanders at Kailahun, were captured the next day at a meeting with the RUF. Within ten days of this, some of the hostages were released due to intense pressure by INDBATT-1 and civilians., however some including the 2IC who had gone to negotiate remained in 'honourable custody', being allowed to return to the base everyday.

The situation worsened and the RUF disarmed 500 Kenyan Peacekeepers, and began advancing towards Freetown. As panic broke out, British troops evacuated the civilian staff at Freetown. The INDBATT-1 QRF was launched to Magburaka, where more Kenyans had been besieged. They made a 180 kilometer advance, pushing back several ambushes, and rescuing the Kenyans. However the situation at Kailahun kept deteriorating, and the two companies of 5/8th Gorkha Rifles remained in their base surrounded by hundreds of RUF rebels of the 1st Brigade.

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Wikipedia