The operation started on the night of November 3, 1988, when an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft of the Indian Air Force airlifted the elements of the 50th Independent Parachute Brigade, commanded by Brig Farukh Balsara, the 6th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, and, the 17th Parachute Field Regiment from Agra Air Force Station and flew them non-stop over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi) to air-drop them over the Malé International Airport on Hulhule Island.
The Indian Army paratroopers arrived on Hulhule less than 12 hours after the appeal from President Gayoom.
The Indian paratroopers immediately secured the airfield, crossed over to Male 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 were reportedly killed in the fighting, most of them mercenaries. The dead included two hostages killed by the mercenaries.
The Indian Navy frigates INS Godavari and INS Betwa intercepted the freighter off the Sri Lankan coast, and captured the mercenaries.
The swift operation by the military and precise intelligence information successfully quelled the attempted coup d'état in the island nation.
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