Operation Black Thunder

Like Operation Blue Star, these attacks were on the Sikh militants based in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.

[5]: 114–116 The operation, which lasted eight hours, was approved by then Chief minister of Punjab Surjit Singh Barnala of Shiromani Akali Dal.

Years later he submitted to the Akal Takht Jathedar who made Barnala serve devotees in the Golden temple and other historic gurdwaras to atone for his mistakes.

In early 1988 the government created a model of the Golden Temple in the Aravalli Hills where National Security Guards practiced the operation.

The Special Action Group commandos had already started to grow their hair so they could blend in as Sikhs during the operation.

[5]: 117 By mid February the date of the Operation was set and leave of the Special Action Group commandos had been cancelled.

[11] It is remembered for the free access the news media was provided unlike during Operation Blue Star.

Soon after this operation, the Indian Government banned the use of religious shrines for political and military purposes and increased penalties for the possession and use of illegal weapons, as part of its strategy to fight extremism in the Punjab region.

[15] In 2002, Sarabjit Singh, then Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar at the time published a book "Operation Black Thunder: An Eyewitness Account of Terrorism in Punjab".