British Military Intervention in The Sierra Leone Civil War - Operation Kukri

Operation Kukri

The British government was particularly keen to secure the release of Major Andy Harrison – the last British UNMO being held by the RUF. Harrison's contingent of UNMOs was protected by a detachment of Indian Army Gurkhas, serving with UNAMSIL, at their base in Kailahun, which was under siege by the RUF. The British and Indian commands in Sierra Leone had devised a plan to extract the UNMOs and British special forces remained in the country, ready to carry it out. However, the UN and the British command feared that the RUF would retaliate against other UNAMSIL forces they had besieged if the UNMOs were extracted. Thus, Major General Vijay Kumar Jetley, Commander of UNAMSIL, was allowed to continue negotiations for the release of the other besieged UNAMSIL contingents.

When the last besieged garrison (aside from Kailahun) was evacuated on 30 May, preparations for a military extraction – should Jetley's negotiations fail – began to increase. The operation (codenamed Operation Kukri) was eventually launched on 10 July. Two RAF Chinooks transported Indian special forces to the outskirts of Kailahun, after which they picked up Harrison, his fellow UNMOs, and several Gurkhas who had been wounded during the siege, allowing the remaining Gurkhas to fight their way out. Harrison was safely extracted and the 600 Gurkhas successfully fought their way out of Kailahun, suffering one casualty in the process.