Operation Pawan

Operation Pawan was the principal combat operation conducted by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka in October 1987, following the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord signed in July 1987. India had deployed the IPKF to Sri Lanka as part of the agreement, with the initial mission centred on facilitating peace and the disarmament of militant groups. When the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) refused to surrender its weapons and hostilities intensified, the IPKF was directed to undertake military action against LTTE positions. The operation began in the Jaffna area in October 1987. Indian forces conducted coordinated ground, airborne and supporting operations to isolate LTTE positions and establish control over important areas of the Jaffna Peninsula. The campaign included infantry assaults, armoured support, artillery and helicopter operations, while Indian Special Forces were employed for specific missions. One of the best-known early actions was the attempt to capture the LTTE leadership at its tactical headquarters near Jaffna University through a helicopter-borne operation on the night of 12 October 1987. The fighting in Jaffna was intense because LTTE forces operated from fortified urban positions, used mines and improvised explosive devices, and conducted ambushes and sniper attacks. Indian troops gradually secured Jaffna and surrounding areas after sustained combat. The operation resulted in significant Indian casualties; contemporary historical accounts record 214 IPKF personnel killed during the main Operation Pawan fighting. Operation Pawan should be distinguished from the wider Indian military involvement in Sri Lanka. Combat operations between the IPKF and LTTE continued after the capture of Jaffna, and Indian forces remained deployed in Sri Lanka until their final withdrawal in March 1990. Government records later reported 1,165 IPKF personnel killed and 3,009 wounded across the broader IPKF operations. The operation is also associated with numerous acts of individual gallantry. Among those who served during the wider Operation Pawan campaign was Sepoy Dharajit Singh Chahar of 4 Jat, who was killed in action on 13 January 1989 on the Vavuniya–Mannar road while engaging LTTE militants. His gallantry was recognised with the Vir Chakra posthumously.