The Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, paid respects to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the peacekeeping mission in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. He arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday for a four-day official visit at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, Air Marshal SK Pathirana. India lost about 1,200 soldiers during the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operations, and about 2,500 officers of the Indian Army were injured during the operation. The IPKF was formed under the mandate of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord signed in 1987 to end the civil war in Sri Lanka between militant Sri Lankan Tamil nationalists and the Sri Lankan military.
The IPKF was formed under the mandate of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord signed in 1987 that aimed to end the civil war in the country between militant Sri Lankan Tamil nationalists such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military. The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990 as part of a peacekeeping mission aimed at ending the Sri Lankan Civil War. The mission was conducted under the mandate of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord signed in 1987. The IPKF was primarily tasked with disarming the militant Sri Lankan Tamil nationalists, including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and restoring order in the country. However, the mission was marked by several incidents of violence, including clashes between the Indian forces and the LTTE, which resulted in significant casualties on both sides. In total, about 1,200 Indian soldiers lost their lives during the IPKF operations, and around 2,500 Indian officers were injured. The IPKF was eventually withdrawn from Sri Lanka in 1990.
