23-05-2025
What Was Operation Khukri, India's UN Mission In West Africa? Who's Making A Movie On It Now?
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Operation Khukri, a 2000 rescue mission by Indian soldiers in Sierra Leone (West Africa) is being made into a film by Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda
25 years ago, deep in the chaos of war-torn Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, Indian soldiers etched a chapter of courage, sacrifice, and strategic brilliance into the annals of United Nations peacekeeping history. That covert mission, known as Operation Khukri, is set to hit the silver screen as a film with Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda at the helm as both director and lead actor.
In the year 2000, Sierra Leone, one of the world's poorest countries, was gripped by civil war. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a rebel group notorious for its scorched-earth tactics and use of child soldiers, had plunged the West African nation into nearly a decade of conflict. Amid international efforts to restore order, the United Nations deployed a peacekeeping force, which included a strong Indian contingent.
But peace was elusive. In a shocking turn of events, the RUF took hostage 222 soldiers and 11 military observers from various nations, confining them under appalling conditions for a staggering 233 days. The captives, deprived even of two proper meals a day, became pawns in a deadly standoff that exposed the fragility of UN peacekeeping efforts.
Among the trapped was a company of Indian soldiers stationed in Kailahun, commanded by Major Rajpal Poonia. Lured away on the pretext of negotiations, Major Poonia was separated from his troops, who were soon surrounded and ordered to surrender. The Gorkha Regiments under his command, known for their unmatched grit, refused to lay down their arms. As pressure mounted, the situation veered toward a full-blown hostage crisis.
When diplomacy failed, the Indian Army launched a bold military operation. The mission, codenamed Operation Khukri, would be remembered as one of the most audacious rescue efforts in peacekeeping history.
At the time, the United Nations was reluctant to endorse a military response. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, himself a West African, was cautious, fearing political backlash. But back in India, public outrage was growing. The fate of the soldiers could no longer hang in diplomatic limbo.
A highly-trained commando platoon of 120 Indian troops was deployed. British Chinook helicopters provided logistical support, setting the stage for a multi-pronged assault. On the morning of July 15, 2000, explosives shattered the walls of the besieged garrison. Simultaneously, Gorkha soldiers inside launched a counterattack, overpowering the RUF fighters and securing a breach.
The escape was perilous. Torrential rains had turned the terrain into a quagmire. Trucks bogged down in mud, soldiers forced to push vehicles under fire, rebels giving chase. The mission was to extract not just the trapped troops but also 11 UN observers and several sick personnel. Chinooks carried out the most vulnerable, while others fought their way through 12 kilometres of hostile territory to Gehun, where they linked up with fresh reinforcements from the 18 Grenadiers.
The final leg took them to Pendembu, a rebel-held town, which the Gorkhas captured after a firefight. The operation was a resounding success: 34 rebels killed, 150 wounded, and only seven Indian soldiers injured. Not a single peacekeeper was lost.
To honour this remarkable feat, Sierra Leone later built the 'Khukri War Memorial' on the banks of the Moa River, a rare tribute by a foreign nation to Indian military heroism.
Major Rajpal Poonia, who eventually rose to the rank of Major General, documented the mission in his book Operation Khukri: The True Story Behind the Indian Army's Most Successful Mission as Part of the United Nations. The book serves not just as a chronicle of military strategy but also of human endurance.
Now, that story is making its way to the big screen.
Randeep Hooda, known for his intense roles and immersive storytelling, has acquired the rights to Poonia's book and will both direct and star in the upcoming film adaptation. 'The story of Operation Khukri moved me deeply," Hooda said in a statement, adding that it is a story of sacrifice, brotherhood, and holding on to courage in the darkest moments.
Slated to be a high-octane war drama infused with patriotic fervour, the film aims to bring global attention to a forgotten saga of valour far from Indian shores.
Operation Khukri stands as a rare example of an international peacekeeping success under dire circumstances. It was a testament to India's military ethos, summarised by former Army Chief General JJ Singh who said that Indian Army soldiers chose 'death over cowardice, honour over two meals a day, and dignity over freedom".
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