After the Kargil War, 18 Grenadiers were given another responsibility. It was the responsibility to free Indian citizens who were held hostage on foreign soil. The responsibility was entrusted to Brigadier Khushal Thakur, who led 18 Grenadiers in the Kargil War. The operation was named Khukri. In Sierra Leone, Africa, 18 Grenadiers led by Brigadier Khushal Thakur rescued 240 people from the clutches of the terrorists. In the year 2000, the rebels in Sierra Leone, Africa had created a lot of terror. The rebels took 240 soldiers of the United Nation Peace Keeping Force. Among them were 234 Indian jawans.
Operation Khukri started on 15 July 2000. On July 16, all the soldiers of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force, including the Indians trapped in the clutches of the rebels, were rescued safely. After Operation Khukri, Brigadier Khushal Thakur along with his team remained in Sierra Leone for ten months. During this time, he played an important role in normalizing the situation there. Eliminated the fear spreading among the government, administration and public. Motivated people again towards farming. Hospitals and schools were opened and the rebels also worked to get them on the right track. Brigadier Khushal Thakur said that after this operation, the then Defense Minister George Fernandes brought mangoes to the ship Sierra Leone and celebrated the victory by feeding the soldiers Indian mangoes.
