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- Operation Poomalai (Pūmālai, lit. "Flower Garland"), also known as Eagle Mission 4, was the codename assigned to a mission undertaken by the Indian Air Force for airdropping supplies over the besieged town of Jaffna in Sri Lanka on 4 June 1987 to support the Tamil Tigers during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Jaffna was then under blockade by Sri Lankan troops as a part of Colombo's offensive against the Tamil separatist movement. Concerned over alleged violations of interests of the Tamils, who had broader support among the Tamil population of South India as well as the government, India attempted to negotiate a political settlement but the Indian offers had been rebuffed by Colombo. As civilian casualties grew, calls grew within India to intervene in what was increasingly seen in the Indian (and the Tamil) media as a developing humanitarian crisis, especially with reports of aerial bombardment against rebel positions in civilian areas. The Indian government, under Rajiv Gandhi, decided to attempt to deliver aid to the northern area of Sri Lanka as a symbolic act of support to the rebels. The first of those efforts, a naval flotilla, was intercepted by the Sri Lanka Navy and was ordered to withdraw. Two days later, India mounted the airdrop over Jaffna. (en)
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