Operation Jaffna University Helidrop

1 operation

1.1 first insertion
1.2 delayed insertion of delta company
1.3 aborting further insertions
1.4 rescue
1.5 delta company, 13 sikh li

operation

unknown indian intelligence, tigers had intercepted indian radio communications, had advanced knowledge of operation, , had correctly identified landing ground. jaffna university had been turned fortress. several 0.50 calibre machineguns had been moved north of football field, , tiger cadres had laid ambush indian troops.

first insertion

the operation h-hour set @ midnight of 11th. led maj sheonan singh, first stick of forty paras inserted in first flight of 2 mi-8s. formation, led wg cdr sapre , sqn ldr vinayraj number two, approached drop zone in low visibility observing complete black-out. flights had formation lights—situated on top of tail boom—switched on. these turned off flight entered short finals. because of complete blackout, direction of approach of first flights missed tigers. 2 helicopters therefore entered landing ground unopposed. however, commandos disgorged , moved take defensive positions, pinned down sustained fire tiger positions. both sapre , vinayraj s flight came under fire took off on full power, did not suffer hits. under heavy fire, paras unable mark drop-zone in time next stick. second flight approached dropzone, pilots flt lt v prakash , sqn ldr duraiswami identify flashes of small arms fire , grenades. however, added this, tracers slaf gunship detailed diversionary attack identified groundfire. pilots, unable identify dropzone after considerable efforts, aborted mission. paras on ground time encircled tigers.

by time first flight of second wave—flown again sapre , vinayraj—took off palali airbase however, tigers had been able identify approach route , moved troops , heavy machine guns rooftop of building north of field. sapre , vinayraj approached target zone, tigers directed heavy , sustained machinegun fire choppers, aiming @ cargo-hold. heavy machine gun fire pierced metal skin of helicopters, @ least 1 commando on vinayraj s flight hit , wounded badly. pilots however, able land , drop load. under increasingly intense ground fire, took off head palali.

as paras tried hold ground, waiting rest of detail reinforce, however, came under sniper fire. ltte had moved in snipers armed telescopic sights, , battle raged, able inflict casualties on paras trying hold ground.

however, duraiswamy , prakash, unable identify lg, had not commenced on second flight. time first flight of second wave landed @ palali, paras numbered eighty instead of preplanned hundred , twenty. decision made 2 flights exchange pilots, sapre , vinayraj flight leaders of both flights.

delayed insertion of delta company

as pilots prepared insert first troops of delta company, 13th sikh light infantry, operation delayed twenty minutes. later analysis show may have been due sikh li troops, infantrymen, not being aware of embarkation routine of heliborne operations. furthermore, troop load of twenty had reduced fifteen accommodate ammunition boxes troops.

the third shuttle departed wg cdr sapre leading , sqn ldr duraiswami no.2. under intense fire ltte positions, load of 40 paras , 15 sikh li along ammunition boxes unloaded. sapre’s mi-8 heavily damaged.

as second shuttle came in insertion, however, faced new threat tigers brought rpg fire bear against helicopters. heavy machine gun fire hit helicopters.

vinayraj s load of forty paratroopers disembarked; however, although sikh li troops prakash s flight disembarked without problems, seems there delay in dislodging ammunition boxes, further delayed return flight under heavy ground fire, mi-8s limped home palali.

aborting further insertions

as heavily damaged choppers returned palali airbase, became clear further missions might impossible. sqn ldr vinayraj s helicopter had sustained significant damage. undercarriage had been hit, portside battery compartment cover missing , whole fuselage peppered bullet holes. wg cdr sapre’s mi-8 returned hydraulic system damaged.

it evident tigers had improved organisation , accuracy of ground fire during third run. indian helicopters faced possible situation of rpg fire. although duraiswami’s , prakash’s mi-8s still serviceable, have been risky fly directly on ltte battlements in order drop 30 more troops.

after great deliberation, decision made iaf commander, gp capt. m.p premi, abort further drops helicopters. goc 54 div, maj gen harkirat singh, informed gp capt premi situation, , told mi-8s not in position carry out further troop insertions. maj sheonan singh, leading para commandos, informed no more support available, sheonan asked goc plan of action. time, although hundred , twenty para commandos in position, thirty of intended 3 hundred , sixty sikh li troops had been inserted. , sniper fire had picked off sikh li radio man. messages received relayed via para commandos through hand-held short range walkie-talkies. @ landing ground, battle intense in many cases indian troops not able see ltte snipers , attackers. under heavy fire sides, , coming under sniper fire, troops under orders not use heavy weapons. sikh li, commandos, in danger of getting bogged down.

debating on choice scrub mission , extract troops, , possibility of capturing ltte high command, , in particular, hunt down prabhakaran, decision taken harikat singh instruct para commandos stick operational plans set. para commandos leave landing ground , hunt place ltte leaders supposed hiding, while sikh li troops left behind hold landing ground.

although under intense fire , few troops, birendra singh, leading sikh li, had earlier communicated sheonan singh prefer hold landing ground , wait rest of company come. battle progressed commandos informed sikh li of turn of events. time, para commandos had set off task in hand , had separated sikh li troops. maj gen harkirat singh later claim birendra singh had not dug troops @ landing ground, nor taken cover in nearby buildings despite para commando advice. on course of search, para commandoes ran local ltte sympathiser claimed know location of commandos targets. following man, commandos waylaid , lost. daybreak, had retreated couple of houses in area , fortified in premises.

with radio contact sikh li platoon lost , fate unknown, para commandos situation became major concern in hq 54 div. morning progressed, goc maj gen harkirat singh arrived in army chetak carry out personal reconnaissance of situation, drawing heavy small fire ground. 1 bullet went clean through floor , space between harkirat sitting , pilot.

rescue

with commandos still holding out, plans put in place @ 54 division extricate them. lt. col. dalbir singh, leading relief force of 10 para co, along 3 t-72 tanks 65 armoured regiment, mobillised rescue holed-up commandos. however, tigers had laid ied minefield on approach roads, through 10 paras not proceed. 10 paras considered abandoning rescue attempt in order avoid nightmare.

it @ point commander of tank troop, major anil kaul, devised alternate route. kaul aware railway tracks of palaly-jaffna rail line passed behind jaffna university. kaul took decision drive tanks on rail tracks. however, tanks fought way in, passing through narrow lanes, rpg fire hit tank in turret. explosion sprayed splinters on eye , arm , severed wedding ring finger. put on morphine men. kaul live fight day. 4/5 gorkhas , ground detachment of 13 sikh li had linked time. besieged paracommandos extricated. eighteen hours since beleaugured para commando company first landed @ university grounds.

delta company, 13 sikh li

although paracommandos extricated, fate of sikh li remained largely unknown until recounted sepoy gora singh, had been taken prisoner, , later released. through night, sikh li had progressively been annihilated. birendra singh , platoon commander subedar sampuran singh fell enemy fire sometime in morning. 11:30 am on 12 october, delta company down 3 jawans surviving. when ran out of ammunition, 3 survivors attempted bayonet charge. 2 killed ltte gunfire , last man, sepoy gora singh, taken prisoner. when indian army reached area after week of heavy fighting, found battlefield littered pieces of sikh li s uniforms , equipment, along thousands of .50 mg shells.

according singh, dead sikhs stripped of weapons, uniforms , equipment , bare bodies laid out in row @ nearby buddhist nagaraja vihar temple. corpses burnt barrel of oil. ltte claimed have tried in touch ipkf hq @ palaly, efforts them collect dead bodies in vain. bodies had started decompose, , had no option cremate them.

in total delta company lost 29 men killed in action, accounting of sikh li casualties. para commandos lost 6 men in battle.