Jaffna University Helidrop

Jaffna Helidrop
Part of Operation Pawan
Date 11 – 12 October 1987 Location Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka Result LTTE victory
Belligerents
India Indian Peace Keeping Force  Sri Lanka	Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders and leaders
Rajiv Gandhi R.I.S. Kahlon	Velupillai Prabhakaran
Units involved
No. 109 Helicopter Unit, IAF No. 107 Helicopter Unit, IAF 10th Para Commando 13th Sikh Light Infantry 65th Armoured Regiment Sri Lankan Air Force	Unknown
Strength
120 commandos of 10th Para Commando 360 soldiers of 13th Sikh Light Infantry 3 T-72 tanks 1 SLAF Bell 212 gunship	Unknown
Casualties and losses
6 killed 10th Para Commando 30 killed 1 captured 13th Sikh Light Infantry	Unknown

The Jaffna University Helidrop was the first of the operations launched by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) aimed at disarming the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by force and capturing the city of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in the opening stages of Operation Pawan during the Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Mounted on the midnight of 12 October 1987, the operation was planned as a fast heliborne assault involving Mi-8's of the No.109 Helicopter Unit, the 10th Para Commandos and a contingent of the 13th Sikh Light Infantry. The aim of the operation was to capture the LTTE leadership at Jaffna University building which served as the Tactical Headquarters of the LTTE, which was expected to shorten Operation Pawan, the battle for Jaffna. However, the operation ended disastrously, failing to capture its objectives due to intelligence and planning failures. The heli-dropped force suffered significant casualties, with nearly the entire Sikh LI detachment of twenty-nine troops, along with six Para commandos, killed in action.