Victory Day is a national holiday in the Maldives observed on November 3, commemorating the successful defense of Malé against a deadly mercenary terrorist coup on November 3, 1988, and honoring the fallen national martyrs.
In the early morning hours of November 3, 1988, approximately 80 heavily armed mercenaries from the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), hired by disgruntled Maldivian conspirators, infiltrated the capital city of Malé to overthrow the government. The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF, then National Security Service) held the military headquarters in heroic resistance under intense fire. Following an urgent distress call, the Indian Armed Forces launched the lightning airborne and naval rescue mission "Operation Cactus", paradropping elite paratroopers into Hulhulé Airport within nine hours and restoring sovereign democratic control. Nineteen Maldivians lost their lives, led by Corporal Hussain Adam, who defended the main gate of the military headquarters until his final breath.
