The 1988 Maldives coup d'état attempt was by a group of Maldivians led by businessman Abdullah Luthufee and assisted by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organization from Sri Lanka, the People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), to overthrow the government in the island republic of Maldives. The attempt was thwarted with Indian assistance in Operation Cactus. (Full article...)