Operation Primicia

Entrance to the barracks (1975)

Date	5 October 1975
Location	29th Forest Infantry Regiment, El Pucuú International Airport
Result	Argentine Army victory

Belligerents

Montoneros

Argentina

Casualties and losses

15 killed

12 killed

3 civilians killed

Operación Primicia (Spanish pronunciation: [opeɾaˈsjon pɾiˈmisja], "Operation Scoop") was a large guerrilla attack that took place on 5 October 1975, in Formosa, Argentina. It was the largest attack ever launched by the paramilitary group Montoneros, which attempted to seize the barracks of the 29th Forest infantry regiment. This attack worsened the Dirty War, and indirectly led to the 1976 Argentine coup d'état the following year.

The attack was carried out in five phases. Firstly, Montoneros hijacked a flight of Aerolíneas Argentinas at Corrientes (with 102 passengers and six crew). The airliner, a Boeing 737-200, was redirected to Formosa. The Formosa International Airport was captured at the same time by Montoneros gunmen already in the province. During this attack they killed a police officer and held 200 hostages. Then, they assaulted the 29th infantry regiment. The surviving gunmen escaped in the Boeing and a Cessna 182. The Boeing landed in the countryside near Rafaela, Santa Fe Province, and the Cessna in a ricefield in Corrientes Province.

The attack was planned by Raúl Yaguer and approved by Montoneros' commanders Mario Firmenich, Roberto Perdía and Roberto Quieto.

Montoneros attacked the Regiment facilities at 16:25, the time of the local siesta. Most military personnel were on leave: some of them had a day off, and others were sleeping at the military neighbourhood next to the regiment. Montoneros thought that the remaining soldiers, most of them just young conscripts, would join them, but they did not. Ten conscripts and two policemen died during the attack, and a total of 28 people died during the whole operation. Montoneros expected to seize some 200 FN FAL assault rifles, but could only take 50.

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