Operation Yahoo | Operations | 61 Mech

The aim of Operation Yahoo was to counter the Swapo infiltration that took place during April to June 1982.

Since August 1981 a specially trained Swapo group consisting of ten platoons underwent training at the Vulcano base in Angola.The first platoon infiltrated South West Africa/Namibia during February 1982 with the aim to lay landmines and to execute acts of sabotage.

Two forces, an eastern and a western group, spearheaded the whole infiltration.They moved south during March 1982 and finalised preparations to cross the cut line.

On 7 April 1982 a group of 52 insurgents crossed the border between beacons 5 and 6 and moved south to the Ogandjere tribal area.One insurgent surrendered to the police.The rest of the group moved further south.Contact was made with the security forces on 9 and 11 April 1982 and the grup retreated to an area north of the Etosha pans.The group was then again discovered on the farm Bakenkop and in the ensuing contact the security forces killed the leader and four other insurgents.Inthe following weeks another eight insurgents were killed in skirmishes with the security forces.According to intelligence reports, eighteen insurgents infiltrated this area and all of them were accounted for.

Seven different groups infiltrated the eastern side with three groups breaking away to Kavango.From 8 to 11 April 1982 groups were spotted with insurgents numbering about 150, 90, 40 and 21 respectively.The groups moved south and on 15 April 1982 ambushed a security force follow up group.A Ratel ICV was destroyed by RPG 7’s, and in the same contact two insurgents were shot.From 1 May the infiltrators went to ground, but over the period 15 April to 1 June 55 Swapo insurgents were killed.An estimated 165 insurgents had infiltrated the eastern area with 55 killed, 16 apprehended and 36 fleeing.The rest of the insurgents exfiltrated back to Angola.

TBC