New Delhi: Operation Cactus was the codename given to an Indian army operation in Maldives to stop a coup d'état in 1988 that was intended to overthrow the then government of President Abdul Maumoon Gayoom in Maldives.
The coup was plotted by about 80 nembers from People's Liberation Organization Of Tamil Eelam, a Tamil militant organization in Sri Lanka. Maldive's Defence Force was caught unawares.
About 80 armed PLOTE mercenaries, wearing lungis and armed to their teeth, landed in the capital Malé before dawn aboard speedboats from a freighter.
Disguised as visitors, a similar number had already infiltrated Malé earlier. The mercenaries quickly gained control of the capital, including major government buildings, airport, port and television and radio stations.
However, they failed to capture President Gayoom, who fled from house to house and asked for military intervention from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi immediately dispatched 1,600 troops by air to restore order in Malé.
