Operation Pawan

Operation Pawan
Part of Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War
Date 11–25 October 1987 Location Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka Result Political and strategic victory for India
Belligerents
India Indian Peace Keeping Force	Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders and leaders
Rajiv Gandhi R.I.S. Kahlon	Velupillai Prabhakaran
Strength
30,000	8000-10000
Casualties and losses
214 killed, 700 wounded 36 missing[1]	2,000 killed, 200 captured

Operation Pawan (Sanskrit: कार्यवाही पवन Kãryvãhi Pavan, lit. "Operation Wind") was the code name assigned to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), better known as the Tamil Tigers, in late 1987 to enforce the disarmament of the LTTE as a part of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. In brutal fighting lasting about three weeks, the IPKF took control of the Jaffna Peninsula from the LTTE, something that the Sri Lankan Army had tried but failed to do. Supported by Indian Army tanks, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery, the IPKF routed the LTTE at the cost of 214 soldiers and officers.